142: Food Emotionality with Samantha Skelley

Namaste. It's Sahara Rose. And welcome back to the Highest Self podcast, a place where you discuss what makes you your soul's highest evolvement. This episode is brought to you by Uveda. Uvaida is a modernized ayurvedic supplement company that takes so certain issues that we have such as mood, joints, immunity, digestion and creates these custom little packets exactly for us, infusing ancient Ayurvedic herbs with modern vitamins and minerals. I take the mood formula daily. It is great if you work a stressful job, had adrenal fatigue, ever suffer from anxiety or even depression, and it really heals you from a fundamental and holistic level. So if you want to try it out, head over to Uvada Y O U V E Use the code Sahara and you'll receive 35% off your first order. And they now ship to almost every country globally. So check it out. If you live internationally, they may be shipping to your country too. And they just added India.

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I am so excited for today's episode because it encompasses of two very important topics in my life and really hits close to home and that is food and emotionality. So as I've spoken about on this podcast, I've for sure had my own food journey. It's gone from me being overweight, to obsessed with what I ate, to not eating enough food to nourish my body, to discovering Ayurveda, to everything in between, I've really experienced it all. And really my relationship with food has always been a reflection of what, what is going on in my life. Am I feeling stressed out? Am I feeling overwhelmed? Am I feeling scared and fearful? That shows up in how I intake everything into my body. And in this episode with Samantha Scully, we're gonna dive deep into this work because the way you do anything is the way that you do everything. And for a lot of us, we take out our internal imbalances into the way we eat. Are we depriving ourselves from happiness in our lives? Maybe that's going to make us deprive us from the foods that make us happy. Do we need more sweetness in our life? Maybe we're going to be gravitating to sweet foods. It is incredible when you look into just the correlation between food and emotions, how life changing it really is, and how the way that you eat is going to really give you a microscope into what is going on on a deeper level. So I sat with Samantha Scaly in person at the Pace to Be Brave conference just last week where her and I were both speakers. It was hosted by Angie Lee. It was incredible. So there is a bit of sound going on in the background. We were literally next to a conference with like 600 people. So excuse us, but we wanted it to be live in person, in the moment, because that is how all of my best episodes are done, when I'm feeling that person's energy. So you may hear some cheering and roaring and some dance music in the background. Please excuse us. We were in a live conference room right next to it. But it's the content that matters here. And this content is really gonna really change the way that you look at food. And an incredible offering that Samantha has opened up for the highest self podcast community is her training program, her food emotionality coaching training program. So essentially you will become a food emotionality coach. This is kind of a combination between a health coach and a life coach. If you've been looking for something like that. Anyone else? Totally. So she trains you in this incredible 10 month certification program with her Phoenix formula, which we're going to talk about on this episode on how to work with clients. If this is something that you want to do, you want to work with people who've dealt with eating disorders, you want to work with people who have had emotional eating problems, binge eating problems, orthorexia, or maybe just looking at your own experience and your own journey with food. I remember when I first signed up for my first health coaching program. I had no idea or intention to become a health coach myself. I actually didn't think that I was capable of it. So I just signed up to learn myself about nutrition. I just want to geek out about it and I'm so glad that I did because it led to me being a health coach, which led to me doing everything else. So maybe you're just at this place that you just want to dive deeper into your own relationship with food and how food is connected to your emotional well being. Well, this program is for you. Or maybe you want to make a career out of doing it and help others really shift their relationship with everything that they eat, then this is also for you. So we're going to be sharing more about about that at the end of the episode. You can check it out at the link in bio. You can use the Code Sahara and you will receive $1,200 off discount off her Hungry for Happiness coaching program which is honestly the best in the industry. It's the leading in the industry in the space and truly has changed so many people's lives. She's been running it for a few years and it keeps getting better and better. So use Code Sahara to get twelve hundred dollars off the Hungry for Happiness coaching program. And I am also offering my Eat Right for your mind body type 12 week guided program which is my modern approach to Ayurveda as an additional bonus for signing up for the program. So not only are you going to learn about the food emotionality component for her, but you're also going to dive deep into Ayurveda which really is also a reflection of that. You can look at the eating disorders as the doshik, imbalances, anorexia, vata orthorexia, pitta binge eating, kapha. So you're going to have both and I talk about that a lot in the Eat Right for your mind body type program which is yours free so you can create your own career as an Ayurvedic food emotionality coach. How rad would that be? And combine the two and those will be additional bonuses for you just for signing up for the program with Code Sahara. So wherever you are on this journey, if you're ready to be a coach, if you just need some more help just to look at food in a different way, this episode is for you. So let's welcome Samantha Skelly to the Highest Self Podcast. Welcome Samantha to the Highest Self Podcast. It's so good to have you here.

I'm so excited. Thank you so much.

So the first Question that I would love to ask you is, what makes you your highest self?

Being in my heart. Being in my heart. It's simplicity, you know, it's those moments where it can feel chaotic externally, and I just drop in and I just breathe, and I'm like, okay, where's my heart? Where is my heart? And as soon as I pay attention and I feel, I intentionally feel, I just connect to this version of me that's just, like, so surrendered, so present. And it's always there. It's always there when we ask.

So simple and so beautiful. And coming to your heart has been a large part of your journey. And your journey. When I listened to you on another podcast, I was like, yep, I've dealt with this. So many women have. So can you tell us a little bit about how you came to this point of really creating Hungry for Happiness?

Yeah. So I had the most interesting childhood. I was a child actress, and I was a dancer, and I was a stunt double for many years. I worked on a show called Smallville. I don't know if I've heard of it. Yeah, we filmed it in Canada. Superman stuff. So I was a stunt double on Smallville. And I had to maintain a very specific weight. You know, I had to maintain a very specific weight. And as a ballerina, as a dancer as well, there was a lot of pressure on my body to be a certain size. And because it was just so part of my childhood and just so a part of growing up, I was like, oh, yeah, this is just normal. Then when I was 18, I was like, this is not normal, you know, and I started to, like, really be aware of, like, body diversity, and, you know, I don't have to watch what I eat. And I started to, like, really sort of, like, break out of this shell. And then my eating issues started. I didn't have them until I realized that I was, like, such a perfectionist. So then I stopped acting and I stopped dancing, and sort of, like, all of my insecurities and everything bubbled to the surface. You know, that, like, intense perfectionism of I'm on a diet and I'm so strict or I'm completely off was like, the. My, like, worthiness wound stuff started to come up. The, you know, years of rejection, of being in the industry started to come up, and all this stuff started to bubble up. And so when I was 18 years old, I moved to Australia, and I can remember lying on the beach and just being like, I'm just gonna, like, go on a diet. Like, I. I'm not dancing anymore. I'm terrified of getting gaining weight. Like, it was for me. That was like, if I gain weight, that's it. Like, I'm done. That's the end of me. And so the first diet that I ever went on was the cabbage soup diet, which was. Are you familiar with that diet? You know, and so I went to the. Went to the store and I just bought, like, crap loads of cabbage, went home and I just ate cabbage soup for days. And that was like the start of my diet. Depression, I called it, where I couldn't eat like a normal person. I was. I had to be on a diet. If I wasn't on a diet, I was overeating like crazy. And so that started the. Just the cycling of. So disconnected from my body, wanting to numb my emotions at every turn. Every single time it bubbled up, I was like, no, no, no, no, no. Get back down there. And at the time, ironically, I was a personal trainer. I was a personal trainer for seven years, and my clients were dealing with the exact same st. They were coming to me because they wanted health advice and they wanted to lose weight. That's not what they really wanted. They wanted to love themselves and understand why they were numbing. They just didn't know that. And so I was going through my issues, my clients were going through their issues. And I just remember, like, bawling my eyes out constantly, just being like, what is wrong with me? Like, why can't I love myself? So I ended up just quitting fitness altogether. I'm like, this industry is so backwards. It's so like, we're just putting band aids on bullet wounds. We're not actually helping people, right? We're not creating sustainable transformation. We're just really being like, do this diet macros this, you know, and it's like, that's not helping people. And so I moved back to Vancouver. I was living in England at the time. That's where I started my first company. Moved back to Vancouver. And I'm like, I need to really dig into myself. Like, why do I keep binge eating? Why do I keep restricting? Why do I hate myself? I couldn't even look at a mirror. Like, I was that, like, disgusted with my body that I couldn't even look at a mirror. I was so avoidant. So I spent three and a half years really digging into, like, what is this inadequacy that I feel? What is this unworthiness that I feel? Where did this come from? Why is it there? And three and a half years of just, like, being on this health journey, I got to a place where I was like, oh, wow. It all comes down to self love. It all comes down to loving the parts of you that you want to hide from the world and bringing them up and letting them know that they can have a voice. And I felt the contrast between how limited my life experience felt when I was suppressing and numbing and just at war with myself, and how. How incredible I could feel being in my body and experiencing all my emotions without shaming them, hiding them, or numbing them. And then I was like, this needs to be in the world more. And so now my mission is very much taking these industries of personal development and health and wellness, bringing them together so we can create more depth, that we can be more impactful healers.

I love that so much. And probably so many people listening have. Have been there. I feel like this is like the thing of females in our generation, because we've grown up just idolizing certain body types. I mean, when have body types been trending? And now it's like the thigh gap, the booty, the this, the that. And your body is not going to change and morph according to what the style is. You can't buy a new body, right?

Absolutely.

So we just take matters into our own hands, the best that we are capable of. When we're like 18 years old and we're like, okay, cabbage soup diet. I. I tried that and then I realized I had to go buy all the ingredients. I was like, oh, that can't follow that.

Can't do that. You're like, I can't even cook.

Yeah. I'm like, is there like a bar? The cabbage soup bar?

Yeah. Do you guys have this stuff on tap?

Yeah. Seriously. But I think we've all been there, and it really comes from perfectionism. And sometimes when our lives are so out of control, the only thing we can control is the food we're eating.

Absolutely.

So let's just get really obsessed over that because I don't have my shit together or anything else.

Ex. I want safety. Right? I want safety and certainty. How can I grasp for safety and certainty when I'm feeling so ungrounded and unsafe in my body? So what they think is going to get them there is manipulation of their food and diet to have. Like, I just want to feel like I'm in control. I just want to feel like I'm in control. You know, it's so interesting, this conversation around body. I mean, there's the body positivity movement, which I think is brilliant, and it's incredibly difficult to love your body after years of hating it, you know, and.

It'S almost like another specific body type.

Yeah, exactly.

You know, it's like you have to be like, like super curvy, like plus size model. And that's body positivity. But what if you're just somewhere in between? Or a lot of the, like, plus size models still have those perfect proportions, like the tiny, tiny waists and the ribs and the bus and it's like you just look like Barbie, but, like bigger but big.

Yeah, absolutely.

And it's not like we're not just seeing like, okay, woman with scars, like, woman, you know, like stretch marks and all and just like normal bodies that don't look like models at all.

Yeah, absolutely, Absolutely. It's so interesting. And I think the feedback that I've gotten from my clients is the body positivity movement. Although the intention behind the movement, I think is beautiful. The consumption is really messing with people.

Yeah, they're like, it's created a new trend.

Yes, exactly. How do I love my body when I. After, you know. So I always tell people, can you accept the fact that you hate your body first? Can we just start there? You know, like, let's like, we need to have acceptance in order to have traction, to create transformation. We can't pretend to love something that we hate and expect to change. So can we love the fact that we hate ourselves first? Let's just get there then. Let's get to a place of, like, neutrality. All right. I'm just neutral with my body. I don't love it, I don't hate it. I'm just neutral with it.

How do you move from hating your body to being neutral?

I love this question so much. So I hated my body for so long. I was so avoidant. And it really took me. This is what I did. I took off my clothes and I went in front of the mirror. And this is something very practical that people listening right now can do today. And just do a body scan meditation. Start from the top of your head and just move down. And what the intention is to move through your body without the hateful thoughts. And so you move down the second you have a hateful thought. You don't judge it, you just observe it. You move back to the top so.

You'Re looking at the mirror.

You're looking in the mirror. Eyes open meditation. Yeah. And the first time I did this, it took me three hours bawling my eyes out, screaming for me to actually sit there and like, get. Throughout the whole Thing and learn to love myself. You know, we have to go into the places that feel the most sticky in order to heal. Transformation really does happen at that intersection of pain. Pain. I hate my body. Can I love it? You know, it's at that intersection. It's like that's where the healing begins. And so coming face to face with it and just feeling it is exactly where we need to start. Like move into the nucleus of the most painful thing and just let it breathe and bring love there, bring love there. And so that mirror exercise, that body scan, meditation is like a beautiful place to start. And I think just acknowledge the fact that you've been so disconnected from your body, you know, acknowledge the fact that you've numbed it. You've betrayed her, you've abandoned her. You know, like I abandoned my body so bad. You know, I was just all up in my head, didn't even realize my body existed. I would damage it. I would, I would, you know, restrict it. I didn't listen to it. So like it's a real, it's a coming home. And that coming home process is gentle, you know, so gentle. We can't expect our bodies to be so open and receptive and loving right away, you know, and that's where people get tripped up. We have to be gentle and it takes time. You know, I spent a lot of years hating my body and for those people listening, maybe they spend spent 30 years, 40 years. So this process of coming home to yourself, getting back into your body and really getting back into your heart takes time and patience and gentleness and tenderness. It's not overnight.

So very true. And what I see and what I definitely even sometimes do today is I'm like, well, I love my body, but I still want to make it better.

Yeah.

And like loving your body while still wanting to get more fit and toned. And I feel like it creates this like, like almost fear that if I totally accept my body as it is, that I'm not going to work on improving.

This is such a great point. So something I say all the time to my clients. Cuz that's a thing, you know, what's the intention behind the behavior? Right. Why do you want to get fit if it's to. Because you love your body and you want vitality and energy and you want to feel strong and you want to. That's how you want to feel. That's beautiful. Or.

But I think most people would answer that. Most women at fitness competitions would say that's not really coming from there.

Yeah, yeah, that's where honesty comes in. We have to be so ruthlessly honest with ourselves. I was a fitness competitor for years. I stood up on stages and, you know, had my ass judged. And it was. That was all fear. It was all fear. I think there's a very, very, very small percentage of that industry that actually does it for the sport. If you. I'm using quotations. Sport, because I don't really believe that it is a sport. I was knees deep in fitness competitions. So to answer that question, it's just like, where's the motivation coming from in anything we do, right? Like, why do we meditate? Are we meditating because we're afraid that we're not good, that we're gonna get anxiety? Or are we meditating just to connect and just to be, you know, why do we eat? You know, intention behind consumption. Why are we putting that in our mouth? Is it for health and hunger? To nourish ourselves or for pleasure? Because we just want to, like, I love eating chocolate for, like, pleasure or drinking a glass of wine for pleasure, or is it to numb ourselves? You know, it's like, what is the energy behind the behavior that we're doing? And this requires so much honesty. Because you're right, People can be like, oh, yeah, I'm doing this for love. And it's like, are you though? Because the only person you're kidding is yourself.

So how do you work with someone? Because, well, we'll talk about this, but you do have your Hungry for Happiness coaching program, and you've coached so many people on how to do this. So how do you work with someone who's maybe in denial of the reason why they are dieting and obsessive exercising?

It's hard to. Is the answer. It's very difficult to work with someone who is in denial. You know, I'll take acceptance over denial all day long. And there's a fine line. And I want you guys to really get this because it's so important. Like, are you accepting or are you in denial? Am I accepting my body or am I just, like, pretending to accept it? Because I'm actually in denial because I don't want to face the truth of it, you know, so it really requires the individual to come to a place where it's like, I surrender. I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going to pretend. I'm going to take off all the masks. Every last fucking mask I'm going to take off. And I'm just going to be raw with myself and be vulnerable. And you know what? That's a little frightening at times, you know, to come face to face with ourselves, but I promise you, it's the most freeing thing they'll ever experience.

So that person has to fully be at a place that they're ready to receive the help.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, a lot of people want support and want help, but they're not ready for it yet until they are, you know, until they are. And so it's truly about what is the desire of that individual. I see people where. Where they're at, and I'm like, this is beautiful, but there's a few more masks that we need to release to really get to the work.

So what are the types of questions that you and you train your coaches to ask these people to help them remove those masks?

Such a good question. Like, identities, right? We grow up and we're given identities. I'll tell you, like, a quick, brief story. I was running one of my events, and there was this woman there, and she was so excited, and she's like, I'm doing this makeover challenge, and I'm getting my hair done. I'm going to lose all this weight. And they're putting me on a meal plan. I have a personal trainer. And on stage, I just looked at her, I said, that's not going to work. And she just kind of looks at me and she goes, what do you mean? I said, as soon as you're done that competition, you're going to gain all the weight back and you're going to be even more unhappy. And she just kind of, like, dropped and. And I said, what do you believe to be true about your body? And she was like, what are you talking about? I'm like, what do you believe to be true about your body and how your body is in the world? Did anyone tell you anything? And she just, like, bawled her eyes out, and she was like, when I was six years old, my brother told me that I'm the fat girl and I need to sit at the back of the bus. And so for her whole life, that's been her identity, right? Of I'm the fat girl. So I'm going to overeat because I'm the fat girl. I'm not going to work out because I'm the fat girl. I'm unworthy because I'm the fat girl. There's all sorts of, like, connections and identities that we take on, and she's literally created that. She's literally created that identity, and she's manifested it on her body. And I said, what do you believe to be true about your body? What do you want? She's like, I want to feel connected. I want to feel light, I want to feel free. I want to feel vibrant. I want to feel like my soul is shining. I said, how often do you pay attention to, to that version of you? She's like, never. Because she's so consumed with this identity that's not even hers. Someone gave it to her and she's been living out that identity her entire life. And so we really have to look at what are the identities that we're holding onto that we are creating evidence for and that we're defending, you know, like we're defending identities that aren't even ours, you know, but it really requires us to look at, look at those identities. What are we believing about ourselves that is not true? What are the masks that we're putting on that are not true? You know, like I'm the strong one or I'm the rescuer, I'm the fat one, or I'm the lazy one, or I'm the one that can't make money, or I'm the one. You know, there's so many things that are just not our truth. And so it's truly about having awareness around those masks and identities and working towards dissolving them to find the truth.

So true. And it sounds like a textbook Kapha imbalance of just holding onto so much energy and makes you feel heavier and more stuck. And I love how then you go into there with the stories because she may not have been born Kapha, but maybe she's brought on this imbalance from all of the overeating and this identity that she's put on herself.

Exactly. Yeah.

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That's so great. So a lot of binge eaters that come to us have had a history of sexual trauma. Why? Because they're trying to create a physical barrier to intimacy. But they come and they think they have a food problem. You know, they're like, I have this food problem. I can't stop eating. Why is that? When we peel back the layers, we begin to realize, okay, this is what that actually is, you know, and when we treat it at a core level, at an energetic level, at an emotional level, weight loss becomes the result of doing the work. It's not the focus. But when we're attacking it from like, I need to lose weight, I need to stop eating. It's like we're not treating the actual energetic wound, you know, so that's a big one. Perfectionism is a huge one with restrictors, you know, I want to be perfect. Perfectionism is a very masculine trait. So oftentimes trying to please our fathers, you know, hustling for our worth, trying to go, go, go, go, go. A lot of like type A perfectionist. I have to be the best. I see this a lot in runners, gymnasts, dancers with those very intense, restrictive patterns. And that, again, is this, like, deep, like, unworthiness, like, I'm not. Not perfect. And so they put their worth on the line, and their worth is so connected to their performance. And so their performance in the world has an impact. They've created a story that their performance in the world has an impact on their innate worth. And so they're fucking terrified of not being perfect because it means they're unworthy and unlovable. And so that manifests in disordered eating. It manifests in so many restrictive patterns. So, gosh, that's two of the many. But there's so many patterns that we see, and then there's the nature versus nurture conversation of, like, was this modeled for you? You know, a lot of mothers and daughters, what do they bond over? You know, dieting, weight loss, misery loves company, that conversation. So sometimes we subconsciously stay stuck in these patterns because it means that we're gonna be connected.

You know, of course, I remember seeing all the, like, moms talk about their diets and this and that and, like, to be, like, part of the conversation, you, like, join in.

Totally.

You, like, see, like, the men talk about sports and the women talk about dieting.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. And it's like, I don't want to rise above that because it means I'm not going to stay connected to this individual. And our biggest need is connection. And we subconsciously meet that in a negative way when we don't create ways of meeting that in a positive way. And so it's so fascinating. Our relationship with food is really a blessing because it lets us know what's really going on internally. When I used to numb, it's like, okay, that's data. That's information that there's something in my body that I'm not wanting to look at or not ready to look at, you know, in any numbing patterns, whether that's alcohol or social media or exercise or work, it's like, what are we avoiding? You know, food is just the thing that we use to avoid oftentimes. So it's so interesting.

So interesting. And I love how you've really turned this into your mission. You've really made your mess your message. So can you share us a little bit about your process on creating the Hunger for Happiness program, the Phoenix formula, and, like, really helping so many coaches all around the world use this work and make a career out of it.

So I was a personal trainer for seven years. So I. And I was a fitness competitor as well. So I First had no. The lack of emotionality in the health and wellness industry. So really, my mission is to take the personal development industry and the health and wellness industry and have them make a baby. And I really, truly want Hungry for Happiness to be the leader. And we are right now the leader of that, of reintegrating emotionality back into health, back into every day. Right. So oftentimes a woman will go. Will have an eating disorder. Then she'll say, I'll go to nutrition school and I'll help people with food. And then she starts practicing it and she goes, oh, wow. It's just so much more than just the food. There's so many layers, deeper, which of course, you're so familiar with in your work, and I'm sure your audience is as well. And so that is what we are committed to doing, is empowering health professionals, health coaches, wellness coaches, or you don't even have to be a health coach if you have a desire and a burning in your heart to do this work in the world. We want to align with other leaders who are. Want to change the weight loss industry. Truly, you know, we have an $80 billion industry that is telling us we're not good enough, we're not skinny enough, we're not worthy enough that we need to destroy, or else it's going to destroy us. And so that's my mission, is just to bring in this new light into an industry that is like, crying. And, you know, it's so interesting. Like, I. I really thought I was going to be like, a real estate agent or something. Like, I really didn't have this plan, right. But this is the thing that, you know, needs to be in the world, and I need other leaders to do it with me, you know? Absolutely, yeah. Other people who really care about this because people listening who've gone through an eating disorder, they know the pain. They know how painful it can be. And there's millions of people in the world today right now who are struggling so hard. And so we just need to step up, up, and we need to change the narrative. We need to create a new industry. We need to really go for it, because nothing changes if we don't step up and do it. So that's my. That's my.

And I know a lot of people who've dealt with eating disorders. They feel like I'm not ready. Like, I don't know how to help other people with this or I'm not perfect with my health either. So. And I know in your program, actually the first, like, part of it is just your own healing stuff. So can you share with us how you prepare people to really hold space for others?

Definitely. What I believe to be true, that creates just exceptional coach is sharing from a place of just pure embodiment, you know, someone just really embodying the message. The formula that we use is called the Phoenix formula, which is how to take someone from an unaware state, fighting food hating their body, into an integrated state connected to their bodies, aware of visceral intelligence. And so for the first three months of the program, it's literally us just working on the coach, you know, And I think the whole fraud complex thing is a big thing with health coaches. Like, who am I to do this? It's like, who are you not to. You know, and so that's a big thing of, like, if you don't feel like you're ready, you're not, because you're never gonna feel that. I never feel ready. You know, even, like, you know, getting on a stage, it's like, am I ready for this? I don't know. Am I good enough for this? You know, it's like, that's what still comes up for me. And so the first part of the program is really just taking the formula and putting it on ourselves, feeling it energetically, connecting with it energetically, just moving all the dust out of the. You know, I call it taking out the garbage. Taking out all the garbage, and really connecting the formula in our system. So then we can then coach from a place of not preaching, but just sharing our experience. Right. And so then the second half of the program is where I teach the Phoenix formula, all the tools, all the frameworks of how to really help someone, and then we help the individual with their business as well after they're done.

So I love that, and it's so great because a lot of people think they need to become an RD or get their master's in nutrition, and they even go do those things, and they realize, like, this conversation about emotions and food and body image is never part of a typical RD program. They may touch upon, like, there are eating disorders out there. Beware.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. Here's the truth, right? Health coaches, wellness coaches, personal trainers, yoga teachers, you know, they're at the forefront of eating disorders. When someone has disordered eating, it's not like, oftentimes they don't call them.

You don't call your doctor.

Yeah, say, doctor, I gotta eat. She's gonna be like, all right, stop eating. You know, but we need to understand what is driving that and get to the Bottom of it. And a lot of times health coaches are those people. And so I just want to create an army where they can actually help to create sustainable transformation for people and truly shift the needle. They want to, they want to, they want to help people.

You know, they do. And it's just such old paradigm to think that you need to get your masters or whatever to do it. It's like if you have a true desire to help people, that's the only prerequisite that you need.

Exactly.

And the tools are so like ever changing and so many of the tools that we are taught are just are not working or they're only surface level that I think education is really important. But getting it from a new pair of paradigm place like an online program that's always changing because every year you're able to see like, wow, this is for example, like this thigh gap thing is a really big problem. You're probably going to get a lot of clients who are want a health coach with the goal of a thigh gap.

Right.

And how do you approach that? That's not going to be in your textbook, guys.

Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. So much of it is, is people coming because they want to feel different. It's not that they want to lose weight. And that's what we need to get as health coaches. It's not that.

Oh, it never is.

It's so much more. So much more. And if they have digestive issues, all right, what's the emotions attached to that? What's really going on to create that, you know?

So true. So for someone out there who's like, I'd really love to do this work, but I don't even know how I would explain it for people. Like, how do they go about kind of starting their business in this kind of, you know, hungry for happiness coach?

Yeah, it's so much of what we do is about educating people. As soon as we educate people, they're like, oh my God, I get it. Right. So when I work with binge eaters, that sexual trauma thing, right. Of like, you know what? It's really not about the food. Have you looked at the emotional side of why you might be numbing? People are like, no. I'm like, okay, well it could be this. How does that resonate? It's just about having conversations with people and asking questions, asking clarifying questions. The consciousness on the planet is raising and so we need to ride that wave. And we also need to meet people where they're at at, because a lot of people don't know what they don't know. Right, right. So it's up to us as leaders to be like, hey, it's not just about the food. You know, there's something so much deeper. We're such complex, incredible, spiritual beings. Like, we need to go deeper. It's time. We need to.

And I think most people, like, if you just approach them and you're like, is it because of your sexual trauma?

They would just shut down. Of course. Of course.

If you, for example, have like a blog or an Instagram that you're talking about, talking about your own story of you emotional eating and finding out it was due to sexual trauma, that naturally invites people to open up too.

Totally.

And then you have your clients right there and you didn't even need to go look for them.

Exactly. Absolutely. Our. Our graduates do that so well. Like our graduates from our coaching program. The coaching program, yes, you get certified, but it's also the most intense personal development journey you'll ever go on. 400 hours, 10 months. That's a long, you know. And so they discover so many things about themselves that they never knew were there. Like, oh, my God, I was holding on to that for so long, and I had no idea.

And this is an online program, right?

It's an online program and we do a graduation in San Diego in person at the end of the. Yeah.

So it's good for someone who both wants a career in this, but also someone who just wants to do it for themselves.

Absolutely. I would say there's probably like 20% of our students do it not for the intention of coaching, but just because they want, like a serious deep dive. And they're drawn to our community and they're drawn to the way we do things. And we have a very connected community of people who, like the alumni. And we all stay together. We all stay connected. It's not. It's not the type of coaching program where you just take your coaching certification. We're like, okay, good luck. Have fun. The intention creating this new industry is collaboration. We're doing this together. How can we come together? It's all women right now. There may be men one day, but how can we come together as women, support each other, collaborate, do retreats together, whatever it is, and really, like, be the starting team for this new industry that we're all creating together. It's not me, it's them, it's everyone else. And so that's the beauty of the community that we've created, is connections. Everything women need to come together.

So true. And I mean, that's why People hearing the background noise. We're at a conference right now that we were just speaking.

Yeah, I'm like, hey guys, can you keep it down over there? We're recording a podcast.

But it's such a beautiful thing to see these women coming together because you really realize so many people have the same story as you. And we all think that we're so alone and so isolated and so different and weird when this conversation that we are having, so many people out there are like, yep, that's me. And we felt so much shame around telling our friends around it because we want to seem put together and we absolutely. You know, and a lot of times also, when you're a conscious person, you're a yoga teacher, you're that healthy friend. If you admit that you still have your own body image stuff, you're afraid that you're gonna kind of like, people won't take you seriously.

Oh, for sure, for sure. I mean, yoga teachers are riddled with disordered eating and body image issues, you know, and that's why they do it, to help other people. You know, it's like, guys, we're all human, just having a human experience. You don't have to be perfect to teach. I'm not perfect and I teach tens of thousands of people. I'm not perfect at all. You know, I'm human AF just like the rest of you. And so really, it's not about perfection. It's just about like wanting to see change. Let's all do that together and grow together. Because what we're gonna find out about ourselves is just so magnificent on the other side.

So very true. Okay, so for people who wanna do this, they sign up for the program, they do their own coaching. And then can you tell us a little bit about what it looks like to be a Hungry for happiness coach? What are kind of different business models?

Yeah, definitely. So there's, you know, stay at home moms who kind of just want to do this on the side. You know, they're like, I just want a little bit of extra income on the side. So they'll just have like maybe a one to one practice. Practice then. Or you have like a corporate woman who wants to completely shut down her job and quit her job and, and come do it so she can do like group coaching retreats. A lot of our coaches are now doing speaking. It really depends. Like, my biggest thing is like, build a business model around what truly lights you up one to one. Coaching for some people is like all they want to do. And that's so Beautiful. There's such a. That's amazing for them. And other people want to do. Do workshops or group programs or just retreats or just speaking. So it's really up to the individual. So the final part of the program is called the Fire effect, where we really uncover what is the essence of the individual and how do they see this work fitting into their, into their life, whether they're a mom or single or whatever it is.

Yeah, I love that so much and it's so true. And also you can come into it doing one on one coaching and realize you want something else and eventually you can work your way into it being your full time career. I know so many people who are doing it and are literally seeing clients doing the retreats, speaking at places like this. And there's so much space for this because you're really at the beginning of this entire industry. And I've really never seen a program that approaches eating disorders in such a holistic way. Because I mean, I've seen like former clients of mine who've gone through eating disorder recovery. And it's like you are strapped to a chair and forced to eat this like piece of white toast and orange juice, which is not even healthy. And it makes you more disconnected from your body.

I want to destroy that whole thing.

Yeah.

Oh God. It's just so, it's so restrictive. It's like we're putting all the focus on the food when it's not the food. You know, it's so backwards. It's so backwards. It's so sad. Truly, truly, truly.

And so many of them, you know, their health matters too. Like, I remember when I was underweight, this doctor told me to microwave ice cream and drink it. Like that was his advice. He's like, just take a gallon and drink it every night. And it's like, okay, that's a great way to get diabetes. But there's just such disconnection. They're like, okay, too thin, more calories. Go to the ice cream.

Yeah, it's very textbook. Right? We're not, we're treating. It's like, it's so individual. Like we need to talk to the human. You know, what's underneath it all. Like, look someone in the eye and go, what's really going on there? It's really going on there.

Yes. And I think you're the name Hungry for happiness, for the really just says it all. It's like, what are you really hungry for? That connection, that joy, the. The grounding, the rest that eating something gives you in a busy work Day. You know, like, I remember when I was writing Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda, I was constantly like, I need chocolate, I need this, I need that. Because I just needed a rest. But my body knew the only way I would do it is if I ate a snack.

Totally, totally. So it's about how do we self soothe without anything outside of us, us. And we know our bodies know exactly how to do it.

I think this is something like probably like 90 of women have dealt with, if not a hundred percent of women. So there's so much space in this industry. If you're listening to this and you're like, I would really love to do this as a career, but I don't think I'm ready for it or I don't think I'll find enough clients. I don't think I'll be able to have a business. Like, if you know anyone that's had this problem, like, there is your perfect right there.

Absolutely.

And you know, since it's such like the beginning of this work, you really will be at the forefront of it, which I always tell them on the podcast, like, that is so powerful to have and it's just amazing, really. The sky's the limit. I've just been watching what you have created, and it's amazing that you've really taken your mess as your message and invited so many other people to do the same and then create their own models and their.

Exactly. Yeah. It's. There's so much work to do and there's so many people to reach. We just need to come together. It's very exciting. It's a very exciting time. We're on the edge of it and it's. I'm just so excited to be like, on par with the weight loss industry. To be like, okay, we're gonna like, overtake you now.

I'm so excited for it.

Like, I literally can't wait. And I know what's happening. I see it so clearly and I feel it. And it's just about my job is so clear. Right now is like empowering leaders to be the best healers they can be. That's like my job right now.

I love that. So when does the next Hungry for Happiness coaching program start?

January 8th.

Okay.

2009.

And it's just once a year because you're doing a lot of live stuff.

So we do it twice. We do it January and July.

Okay.

Of each year.

So if you're listening to this past January, you can still sign up in July. It's online with the graduation in San Diego, which is. We're in San Diego right now.

That's where we are right now.

And we are offering listeners and $1000 off discount which is so beautiful. Thank you so much for that Samantha, because I really think people listening to this podcast, they're very, very conscious and they would be the perfect people to be coaches. So thank you so much for offering that thousand dollar off discount. So you can find that by heading over to hungryforhappiness.com Sahara you will get your thousand dollar off discount and as a free bonus I will offer my 12 week Eat Right for your mind body type program. So not only will you become a certified hungry for happiness coach, but you'll also know everything about Ayurveda to incorporate your practice as well.

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this with your audience and thank you so much for listening. I'm so grateful for you and what.

You'Ve done and where can listeners connect with you at?

Just Instagram is the best place for me personally. Just amanthaskelly.

Well, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom for creating this incredible platform that I know will surpass the weight loss industry and really create a holistic way, way of looking at the body.

Thanks Carol. Thanks so much for having me.

Namaste.

So many truth bombs in that episode. I mean how much could you relate? I was just nodding along the whole time when I was doing that interview with her and you know, these are.

Things that people don't talk about and.

People really need help with and there's such an opportunity if you want to be one of those people who really takes a stand in this movement, ends dieting culture and allows us to get back in touch with our bodies again. There's, there's so much space for you to just really thrive in doing this work. So head over to Hungry for Happiness F O R hungryforhappiness.com Sahara. Let them know you were referred by Sahara. You will receive your thousand dollar off discount as well as my eat right for your mind body type modern Ayurveda program. Absolutely for free. So you can begin your road as a food emotional coach and bring in the ayurvedic wisdom into that practice for some true, true life expanding work. So thank you Samantha for coming. Thank you for listening, for being part of the tribe, for making your mess your message and for really guiding others along that path. Walking through the dark and then taking that torch and saying, hey, you don't need to walk through this by yourself. So thank you to the listeners for really owning and healing the wounds inside of yourself so we are able to help heal the wounds of the planet. If you guys love this episode, I would love for you to leave me a review in the itunes store. As a free gift, I will offer you the first half of my unreleased book, eat right for your mind body type absolutely free. This is different from my new book, Eat feel Fresh, which is available wherever books are sold. And Eat Feel Fresh as a cookbook and Eat Right for your mind Body type type merges ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern nutritional science and as part of my Eat right for your mind body type program. So all you got to do to get that half for free is to head over to the itunes store, look up highest health podcast, write me an honest review and send a Screenshot over to SaharaAtFeelFresh.com and as a gift, I will send you that first half. And if you want to dive deeper into recipes to help balance your mind and body, check out my new new book, Eat Feel Fresh. It is available wherever books are sold. It is so much more than just a cookbook. But is my modern approach to Ayurveda, alkaline Ayurveda and showing us how we can use these ancient practices into our life? It really is where food emotionality comes from. It all stems from Ayurveda. So it is so important to learn about these ancient healing arts and sciences because then we're able to see, wow, vata, anorexia, pitta orthorexia, coffee, kapha binge eating. And we're able to understand it from a deeper, energetic level as well. So I honor you guys for being part of this, for truly raising consciousness with your intellect, heart and vitality. And I'll see you guys on the next episode. Namaste.

That.