In this episode, I read The Gift of the Magi, a story that has stayed with me since the first time I heard it. My husband and I had just gotten married. We were living in our first little house, stretched thin on one income while I was in graduate school, and trying to make Christmas meaningful without much money to spare.

Hearing this story in that season of our lives was like being handed a quiet truth: Christmas was never really about the gifts. It was about the gift of being together. The gift of love. Jim and Della’s selfless devotion reminded me that the most valuable things we offer each other can’t be wrapped, bought, or measured—they’re lived, shared, and felt.

Join me as I revisit this timeless tale and the lesson it continues to whisper all these years later.

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Support the show

If you enjoyed this show, make sure you like, subscribe, follow and download the episode or simply leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your thoughts, episode ideas or simply to say "hello"!

This episode is sponsored by Jackie Vandertuin Therapy. With over 30 years of practice as a Certified Athletic Therapist and professor of Athletic Therapy, coupled with her experience as a yoga therapist, Jackie Vandertuin MSc, CAT(C), will help guide you in the management and treatment of various disorders including: low back pain, sprains, strains, anxiety and depression. Reach out www.jackievandertuintherapy.com for a free discovery call.

If would like to be a guest of this podcast, please reach out to jackie@jackievandertuintherapy with a short bio of your story and how yoga has helped you in your journey of healing.

If you are interested in sponsoring an episode or this podcast, reach out to Jackie Vandertuin at jackie@jackievandertuintherapy.com.

Stay in touch at:

Website: https://www.jackievandertuintherapy.com

Instagram: jackie_vandertuin_therapy

Facebook: Jackie Vandertuin Therapy

To support the show, feel free to buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/theinnerpractice

The Gentle Whisper of Women is a heartfelt exploration of grief, love, and the quiet guidance we receive from those who shape us—whether they’re still here or part of the lineage that walked before us.

The episode opens in the stillness of night with a whispered question—“When will this pain end?”—and unfolds through memories of a woman whose presence, kindness, and strength anchored an entire family. Listeners journey through the rawness of early grief and the years of carrying a loss that never fully disappears, only softens.

A pivotal conversation later in life reveals a deeper truth: we are held not only by our memories, but by the wisdom and strength of others—those beside us now and those whose footsteps created the path we walk. Their guidance continues to shape our choices, steady our hearts, and help us navigate life’s hardest moments.

The Gentle Whisper of Women invites listeners to remember, to listen, and to lean into this shared wisdom. It’s a story about loss, yes—but even more, a story about the support that surrounds us, seen and unseen, and the way it carries us forward.

Send us a text

Support the show

If you enjoyed this show, make sure you like, subscribe, follow and download the episode or simply leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your thoughts, episode ideas or simply to say "hello"!

This episode is sponsored by Jackie Vandertuin Therapy. With over 30 years of practice as a Certified Athletic Therapist and professor of Athletic Therapy, coupled with her experience as a yoga therapist, Jackie Vandertuin MSc, CAT(C), will help guide you in the management and treatment of various disorders including: low back pain, sprains, strains, anxiety and depression. Reach out www.jackievandertuintherapy.com for a free discovery call.

If would like to be a guest of this podcast, please reach out to jackie@jackievandertuintherapy with a short bio of your story and how yoga has helped you in your journey of healing.

If you are interested in sponsoring an episode or this podcast, reach out to Jackie Vandertuin at jackie@jackievandertuintherapy.com.

Stay in touch at:

Website: https://www.jackievandertuintherapy.com

Instagram: jackie_vandertuin_therapy

Facebook: Jackie Vandertuin Therapy

To support the show, feel free to buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/theinnerpractice

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Tracy Armstrong, a retired school administrator and yoga teacher from Orangeville, Ontario, who shares a powerful and deeply honest story of anxiety, insomnia, perfectionism, eating disorder recovery, and alcoholism. Tracy opens up about growing up with chronic anxiety and the pressure to appear “perfect,” and how these early experiences gradually manifested into disordered eating and later addiction.

With vulnerability and clarity, Tracy reflects on the moment she realized her drinking was affecting her time with her family—a turning point that led her toward addiction recovery, support, and healing. She discusses the tools that continue to sustain her today, from breathwork and mindfulness to time in nature and intentionally creating space for herself when she feels overwhelmed.

Tracy reminds us that her story is not uncommon. Along her path, she received meaningful support, including care at Homewood Health Centre, which played a significant role in her recovery journey. Her story is a testament to the power of asking for help, listening to your body, and reconnecting with practices that bring grounding, clarity, and compassion.

A gentle note before listening:
This podcast occasionally explores sensitive topics such as mental health, trauma, addiction, and eating disorders. Please listen in a way that feels safe and supportive for you. If anything begins to feel heavy, it’s completely okay to pause, take space, or reach out for additional support. This podcast shares personal stories and healing practices, but it is not a substitute for professional mental health care.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use or mental health challenges, you are not alone. Below are resources in Canada that can help:

Support Resources

Alcohol & Substance Use Support

• Canadian Centre for Addictions: https://canadiancentreforaddictions.org/contact-us/
  
  Call 1-877-533-1817

Treatment & Recovery

• Homewood Health Centre (mental health, trauma, addiction, and co-

Send us a text

Support the show

If you enjoyed this show, make sure you like, subscribe, follow and download the episode or simply leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your thoughts, episode ideas or simply to say "hello"!

This episode is sponsored by Jackie Vandertuin Therapy. With over 30 years of practice as a Certified Athletic Therapist and professor of Athletic Therapy, coupled with her experience as a yoga therapist, Jackie Vandertuin MSc, CAT(C), will help guide you in the management and treatment of various disorders including: low back pain, sprains, strains, anxiety and depression. Reach out www.jackievandertuintherapy.com for a free discovery call.

If would like to be a guest of this podcast, please reach out to jackie@jackievandertuintherapy with a short bio of your story and how yoga has helped you in your journey of healing.

If you are interested in sponsoring an episode or this podcast, reach out to Jackie Vandertuin at jackie@jackievandertuintherapy.com.

Stay in touch at:

Website: https://www.jackievandertuintherapy.com

Instagram: jackie_vandertuin_therapy

Facebook: Jackie Vandertuin Therapy

To support the show, feel free to buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/theinnerpractice