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Threshold Moments

Sarah Tacy

Threshold Moments is a podcast about people who follow their hearts to lead their most authentic lives. Along the way they will cross over some thresholds in which it is clear that what once worked, no longer works. The next version is awaiting. The path is unknown, and safety structures will fall away.

Once a week, you can expect to hear from incredible guests about the moments that forever changed them. They'll share their messy middles, the things they can now laugh at in retrospect, the lessons they've learned along the way, and the freedom they've found by following the pull.

You'll hear about a variety of navigation tools:

Some of my guests rely on breathing, fitness, or hot/cold therapy.
Some track the moon, their menstrual cycles, their mind set, or sensations in their bodies.
Others attune to nature, their spiritual team, and/or dreams.
Others use psychedelic medicine and or psychotherapy.

No matter the tools, threshold moments tend to be ripe w/ heartbreak, excitement, fear, and possibility. Therefore this podcast is also about companionship because being accompanied and witnessed on the way through can be the most essential layer of support our nervous system and psyches can receive during a time of uncertainty and reclamation.

I started this podcast because I deeply honor the full cycle or transformation, not just the sparkly ends. I think it's inspiring. And, it lets us know we're not alone on this journey home.

My hope is that you will feel that in your bones: you. Are. not. Alone. You are in great company.

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22 episodes
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English

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S4 · E145
Tuesday · 49 min
145 - Reclaiming Yourself in Love
What happens when you stop trying to make love happen—and start becoming more fully yourself? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah sits down with relationship expert Christine Hassler for a deeply personal conversation about love, surrender, control, and the protective strategies that can quietly keep us from the connection we desire. Christine shares her own journey from heartbreak, divorce, and years of frustrating dating experiences to meeting her husband, Stefanos, and building the kind of side-by-side partnership she had been longing for. Together, Sarah and Christine explore what it actually means to "let go"—not as a passive act, but as a willingness to release hypervigilance, loosen our attachment to outcomes, and stop trying to create safety through doing. They also explore the Queen archetype: the version of ourselves who can widen the lens, stay connected to her values and vision, and trust herself even when relationships, life, or circumstances feel uncertain. This conversation goes far beyond dating. It's about reclamation—coming home to who you are, staying with yourself when your truth creates change, and allowing relationships to become a vehicle for growth rather than another place to lose yourself. In This Episode Sarah and Christine explore: Christine's journey through heartbreak, divorce, dating, and eventually meeting her husband, Stefanos The difference between surrendering and secretly "letting go" in hopes of getting a specific outcome Why Christine realized she had unconsciously paired surrender with settling What it means to have high intention and involvement with low attachment Learning to experience desire and longing without suffering How control and hypervigilance can become protective strategies Why appearing highly capable or "in your masculine" may actually be a nervous-system response The Queen archetype and what it means to be led by your vision and values Moving from coaching, fixing, or rescuing a partner into true intimacy Why Sarah stepping more fully into herself created space for change within her own marriage The difference between changing your partner and changing the relationship by reclaiming yourself Why conscious relationships aren't about avoiding triggers—they're an opportunity to interrupt old patterns Reclamation, liberation, and learning to stay with yourself when your truth creates uncertainty How these principles can ripple beyond romantic relationships into motherhood, leadership, business, and everyday life About the Guest Christine Hassler is a Master coach, spiritual psychologist, facilitator and speaker with 20 years of experience. She is the best-selling author of three books, most recently Expectation Hangover: Free Yourself From Your Past, Change your Present and Get What you Really Want and is the host of top-rated podcast "Life Coaching with Christine Hassler" where she coaches people live on the show. Christine is known globally for her ability to identify what is holding someone back and compassionately guiding them to clarity. She also works with companies and organizations to increase productivity and decrease the stress of their employees. Christine has a Masters degree in Psychology and implements elements of NLP, psychology, spirituality, science and her own diverse life experience into her work. She's appeared on: The Today Show, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, E!, Style, The New York Times, the Joe Rogan Show and many more. Christine believes once we get out of our own way, we can show up to make the meaningful impact we are here to make. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with Christine Christine and her husband, Stefanos, are hosting Love Magnet, a three-day workshop on October 13–15 exploring love, relationships, embodiment, and calling in connection from a different place. Learn more about Love Magnet here >> Follow Christine on Instagram Visit her online
S4 · E144
September 29 · 17 min
144 - When You Come Back to Feeling
What happens when life looks good on the outside, but you can't actually feel it? In this episode, Sarah reads one of her personal essays, "I Could Have Been on That Boat and Felt None of It," and reflects on a season when she had so much of what she thought would make her feel better—but still felt flat, exhausted, and disconnected from herself. She shares her experience of recognizing functional freeze and realizing that her nervous system had been running on survival and goal pursuit at the same time: pressing the brakes while the gas was still on the floor. From there, Sarah describes the slow, unglamorous process of coming back online—first through resuscitation and pacing, then learning what actually brought her joy, followed by movement, expression, boundaries, and resourcing her nervous system enough to feel the full range of emotions again. And eventually, the smallest things began to bring her alive: a black squirrel in New York City, sheer blouses, coaching lacrosse, a composting machine, sunlight through autumn leaves. This is a story about burnout, functional freeze, joy, and the deeply embodied process of finding your way back to yourself. In this episode: What it feels like when life looks good but you can't feel it Sarah's experience with functional freeze The difference between knowing you're lucky and actually feeling joy Why resuscitation had to come before growth Learning to identify what genuinely brings you alive Boundaries and reclaiming your desires Movement, shaking, wrestling, and expressive practices Why anger, grief, and joy can all return together The relationship between nervous system regulation and aliveness Why healing happens in cycles and thresholds Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list
S4 · E143
September 22 · 38 min
143 - What Changes When You Become Resourced? Real Stories From Inside the Program
What Changes When You Become Resourced? Real Stories From Inside the Program What actually changes when you stop simply learning about your nervous system and begin practicing a different way of being? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah does something a little different: she shares the words and stories of women who have gone through Resourced. These aren't polished success stories. They're reflections from women navigating real lives—businesses, relationships, parenting, health challenges, limited bandwidth, and moments when old patterns would normally take over. You'll hear stories of women who have: stopped rushing from obligation to obligation and created more space to choose how they respond become less reactive—and experienced less shame when reactivity does happen changed the way they navigate conflict with partners and children developed a new relationship with time found the capacity to set and repair boundaries they already knew needed to change used small, doable nervous system practices in the middle of everyday life benefited from Resourced even when they couldn't attend live or didn't have the bandwidth to do everything perfectly Sarah also takes you inside the structure and intention behind Resourced—why repetition, feedback, support, and slowing down matter when you're trying to create patterns that actually become embodied. Because the goal isn't to make life stop being hard. It's to build a steadier nervous system foundation so that when life gets hard, you have more capacity, more choice, and more freedom inside of it. In this episode, you'll hear: Real stories and reflections from Resourced participants Why nervous system regulation can change the way we experience urgency What "resourcing first" can look like in work, parenting, relationships, and boundaries Why you don't need perfect attendance—or perfect circumstances—to benefit from the work How the Daily Drips help reinforce the work through small, repeatable practices Why Sarah designed Resourced around repetition, feedback, support, and integration What becomes possible when nervous system work moves from something you know to something your body can actually access Ready to go deeper? If Opting Out of Urgency has helped you recognize the ways urgency may be shaping how you work, relate, make decisions, or move through your life, Resourced is where we take this work deeper. Resourced is a nervous system repatterning journey designed to move you from learning and supported practice into integration in your everyday life. Enrollment for Resourced is open until October 22. And if you haven't finished Opting Out of Urgency yet, you still have time. Replays are available through September 22. Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system reset to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Resourced - A nervous system repatterning experience designed to help you build capacity, create more choice, and move through your life with greater agency instead of urgency. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list
S4 · E142
September 17 · 51 min
142 - From Functional Burnout to Resourced: Learning to Trust Yourself Again
What happens when the life you built — the career, the identity, the pace, the version of you who could hold it all — no longer works? In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah sits down with Emily Evans, a former Resourced student and founder of The Wander Years, to talk about functional burnout, identity shifts, nervous system work, and what it looks like to enter the "fertile void" without rushing to figure out what comes next. Emily shares how she walked away from a decade-long career she loved after her body began sending signals she could no longer ignore. What followed wasn't an immediate reinvention. It was years of slowing down, letting identities fall away, learning to follow small "micro yeses," and discovering who she was when she stopped measuring herself by her output. They also talk about Emily's recent trip to Mongolia, where she experienced a powerful real-life moment of trusting her body, honoring a clear no, and realizing just how much had changed. Sarah and Emily explore the difference between urgency and sustainable aliveness, the discomfort of not knowing what comes next, the importance of play and joy, and how slowing down can create space for a version of ourselves that has been there all along. Emily also shares how her own season of wandering eventually inspired The Wander Years — a space for women over 40 to connect, travel, move, read, play, and discover what might emerge when they don't have to have everything figured out. In this episode, Sarah and Emily talk about: What functional burnout can look and feel like When your body starts telling you what your mind hasn't acknowledged yet Leaving a successful career without knowing what comes next Why slowing down doesn't always immediately create clarity The "fertile void" and learning to stay with the unknown Following micro yeses instead of needing the whole plan Separating worth from productivity and output How Resourced supported Emily during a major identity transition Boundary repair, fawning, and feeling seen instead of ashamed The moment in Mongolia when Emily trusted her body's no Letting go of the need to be liked, perform, or manage everyone else's experience Midlife, changing identities, and meeting a new version of yourself Tracking joy, play, novelty, and connection How Emily's own wandering led to the creation of The Wander Years Ready to go deeper? If Opting Out of Urgency has helped you recognize the ways urgency may be shaping how you work, relate, make decisions, or move through your life, Resourced is where we take this work deeper. Resourced is a nervous system repatterning journey designed to move you from learning and supported practice into integration in your everyday life. Enrollment for Resourced is now open. And if you haven't finished Opting Out of Urgency yet, you still have time. Replays are available through September 22. Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system reset to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Resourced - A nervous system repatterning experience designed to help you build capacity, create more choice, and move through your life with greater agency instead of urgency. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with Emily Emily Evans is the founder of The Wander Years, and Wander Women Social Club - a travel-inspired community for women 40+ to reconnect with friendship, fun, adventure, and themselves as they navigate a new era of life. Through small-group travel and meaningful connection, The Wander Years invites women to embrace the freedom of not having everything figured out - and to discover what comes alive when they give themselves permission to wander. Follow The Wander Years on Instagram. You can also find Emily's writing on her Substack, This Late Bloomer, where she shares real stories about starting over at 50, blooming late, and remembering who you actually are.
S4 · E138
September 16 · 38 min
141 - Replace Adrenaline with Sustainable Motivation
What if the goal of nervous system work isn't to become calmer—but to become more alive? In this special episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah is joined by Kate Northrup for a conversation originally recorded during an Instagram Live about Opting Out of Urgency in 2025. Kate shares how Sarah's work helped her begin unraveling a deeply ingrained pattern of running her business on adrenaline, and together they explore what becomes possible when we stop treating urgency as the only way to get things done. Sarah shares why urgency can be so difficult to step away from—especially when it has been rewarded with success—and why opting out isn't about abandoning ambition, productivity, or the things that matter to us. It's about bringing agency and choice back into the equation. They also explore why nervous system regulation doesn't always mean "calming down," what can happen when unexpressed fight-or-flight energy gets stuck in the body, and how creating the right outlets for that energy can lead to more clarity, creativity, joy, and aliveness. And when you find yourself caught between "I must" and "I can't," Sarah introduces another possibility: the Sacred Third—the option we often can't see until our systems have enough support to recognize that another way exists. In this conversation, Sarah and Kate explore: Why urgency can feel necessary—even when it's exhausting us The difference between urgency and agency Why nervous system regulation isn't synonymous with being calm How urgency can be an expression of fight-or-flight energy Why your body may respond before your conscious mind creates the story The role of expression, movement, and nervous system "outlets" What Sarah calls the tension field between familiar patterns and a new way of being The Sacred Third and finding possibilities beyond "I must" or "I can't" Why supporting yourself before the to-do list is finished can actually change your relationship with time What it can look like to build a life and business from life-force energy instead of adrenaline As Kate says in this conversation, this work isn't simply a nice addition to our lives—it can become foundational to how we work, relate, choose, and move through the world. Ready to experience this work for yourself? ⭐️ If you enjoy this episode, sign up for my free 3-day nervous system reset — Opting Out of Urgency — happening live on Zoom September 10-17. RSVP here: https://www.sarahtacy.com/opting-out-of-urgency Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system rest to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with Kate Follow Kate on Instagram Visit Kate's website
S4 · E140
September 15 · 26 min
140 - When Urgency Disguises Itself as Growth
What if the thing you think is driving your growth is actually urgency? In this Mini Musing, Sarah explores one of the sneakiest patterns of urgency: how easily it can disguise itself as dedication, productivity, ambition, or the desire to grow. Sarah shares a personal example of catching herself in urgency while preparing for her upcoming work—and realizing that the feeling of "I have to do this now" was making it harder to access creativity, choice, and clarity. She also explores the difference between urgency and agency, why moving quickly can cause us to repeat old patterns, and how stepping away from the problem—even briefly—can change what we are able to see. The goal isn't to eliminate speed or become slow all the time. It's to develop more choices about how we move, so that urgency isn't making the decisions for us. In this episode, Sarah explores: How urgency can disguise itself as growth and dedication Why moving fast can cause us to repeat familiar patterns The difference between urgency and agency How to recognize when you've lost a sense of choice Why small pauses can change our perception and creativity Moving between fast, medium, and slow rhythms How nervous system regulation creates more possibility Why small, doable pattern interrupts are more sustainable than all-or-nothing changes What it means to ask, "What is the next right step?" ⭐️ If you enjoy this episode, sign up for my free 3-day nervous system workshop — Opting Out of Urgency — happening live on Zoom September 10-17. RSVP here: https://www.sarahtacy.com/opting-out-of-urgency Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system workshop to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list
S4 · E139
September 8 · 51 min
139 - Jeannine Yoder: Opting Out of Urgency: What Happens When You No Longer Need Pressure to Move
In this episode of Threshold Moments, Sarah Tacy sits down with her dear friend, breathwork practitioner and coach Jeannine Yoder, to trace the origins of Opting Out of Urgency—including the moment Jeannine first spoke the phrase that would become the name of Sarah's workshop. Jeannine Yoder is a New York Times–featured feminine leadership coach, breathwork teacher, and Broadway-trained performing artist. For over 15 years, she has trained coaches, healers, and facilitators while guiding transformational breathwork experiences, retreats, and private sessions rooted in nervous system regulation, somatic healing, embodiment, and ritual. She is the founder of Huntress House, a sacred studio for feminine awakening in Easton, Connecticut. Jeannine shares how urgency once functioned as the fuel source of her life. Coming from a childhood where her nervous system learned to respond to a lack of safety, she became exceptionally good at identifying problems, mobilizing quickly, achieving, and creating solutions. But over time, that pattern became a cycle of desire, intensity, achievement, depletion, exhaustion, and then finding something new to mobilize around. The surprising part? Even after her external circumstances became safer and more stable, her nervous system didn't automatically slow down. Together, Sarah and Jeannine explore what it means to opt out of the internal experience of urgency—not necessarily to move slowly, do less, or give up ambition, but to stop manufacturing pressure in order to feel alive. They talk about: Why urgency can feel like safety, motivation, and even creativity What it feels like to have nothing urgent to solve The difference between genuine energy and the feeling of "I need to handle this so I can finally relax" Why opting out of urgency can feel disorienting before it feels peaceful How black-and-white thinking keeps us locked into urgency The power of finding a "sacred third" instead of choosing between two extremes How co-regulation can help us access choices we can't see when we're activated Why our relationships can change when we stop responding from old patterns Learning to leave things unfinished without feeling unsafe The practice of "exhale first, and then respond to what actually needs me" Why creating spaciousness can allow grief, desire, and other feelings to surface How small, digestible steps can help us build capacity for a different way of living At the heart of the conversation is a simple but radical question: Can I have a beautiful, meaningful, creative life without manufacturing pressure in order to feel alive inside? And perhaps an even deeper one: Who am I when nothing urgently needs me? ⭐️ If you enjoy this episode, sign up for my free 3-day nervous system workshop — Opting Out of Urgency — happening live on Zoom September 10-17. RSVP here: https://www.sarahtacy.com/opting-out-of-urgency Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system workshop to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list Connect with Jeannine Yoder Follow Jeannine on Instagram
S4 · E138
September 1 · 34 min
138 - Ginny Muir: How to Slow the Pace of Your Life
Today I'm welcoming back my friend Ginny Muir for a conversation about what it really takes to step out of urgency culture. After a big life transition and international move, Ginny discovered how to slow her pace, honor her capacity, and build a life rooted in presence. If you've been craving more spaciousness in your days, this episode offers both inspiration and practical wisdom for releasing urgency and finding your own rhythm — no matter how hectic your life may feel. ⭐️ If you enjoy this episode, sign up for my free 3-day nervous system workshop — Opting Out of Urgency — happening live on Zoom September 10-17. RSVP here: https://www.sarahtacy.com/opting-out-of-urgency Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system workshop to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week. Connect with Ginny Muir Follow Ginny on Instagram @ginnymuir Subscribe to Ginny's newsletter Listen to Ginny's past episode of Threshold Moments: The Ripeness of Midlife
S4 · E137
August 25 · 21 min
137 - I'm Okay When I'm Okay: Rewriting the Female Nervous System
What if the root of overwhelm, urgency, and burnout isn't that you're doing too much—but that your nervous system learned that your safety depends on everyone else being okay first? In this episode, Sarah explores one of the most common patterns she sees in women: "I'm okay when you're okay." While this response once served an important survival function, many women now find themselves trapped in cycles of hyper-responsibility, people pleasing, urgency, resentment, and exhaustion. Sarah unpacks why the female nervous system often defaults to tending, managing, soothing, and caring for others before caring for ourselves—and why healing isn't about becoming detached or uncaring. Instead, it's about building the capacity to return to yourself first. Through personal stories, nervous system insights, and practical examples, Sarah explores what it means to move toward a new paradigm: I'm okay when I'm okay. We can care about others, without abandoning ourselves. In this episode: Why women are wired toward "tend and befriend" The nervous system roots of people pleasing Hyper-social behavior and hidden freeze responses Why urgency and burnout are often connected The difference between caring and over-identifying What happens when your child's pain activates your own wounds Practical nervous system tools for emotional regulation Clean anger, boundaries, and self-trust Why healing isn't about becoming unaffected Moving from reactivity to sovereignty Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system workshop to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week.
S4 · E136
August 18 · 1 hr 10 min
136 - Ruthie Lindsey: When Obstacles Become Portals
What if the hardest things you've lived through are invitations into your life? Ruthie has survived what most bodies are never asked to hold. I wanted the details, and she gives them. What I did not expect was how present she stayed while telling me. No performance of having healed. Just a woman living from right now, with a grace that makes a listeners body settle. In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, Sarah sits down with writer, speaker, coach, and beloved internet friend Ruthie Lindsey to explore the thresholds that have shaped her life—and the wisdom she's found on the other side of them. Ruthie shares the story behind the pain narrative that defined much of her public identity: a devastating car accident at seventeen, a wire accidentally left in her brainstem, years of chronic pain, addiction to approval, the collapse of a marriage, spiritual deconstruction, nervous breakdowns, and the long journey of learning who she is beyond what she's survived. This may sound devastating, but somehow Ruthie lifts us all up during her story telling. She gives us home and holds up a light for anyone navigating their own threshold. Together, Sarah and Ruthie explore belonging, identity, chronic pain, somatics, spirituality, relationships, and the tender process of becoming more fully human. They discuss the difference betaween healing and fixing, why some thresholds never fully end, and how life can become richer, simpler, and more meaningful when we stop waiting to arrive somewhere else. This conversation is filled with laughter, honesty, and the kind of wisdom that can only come from living through what once felt impossible. In this episode: Growing up addicted to approval and external validation The emptiness that followed becoming homecoming queen The car accident that changed the course of Ruthie's life Living with chronic pain and redefining healing Why pain can become a portal rather than an obstacle Spiritual awakening, deconstruction, and Richard Rohr's concept of order, disorder, and reorder Learning to descend more fully into the body through somatics Letting go of identities built around suffering Finding joy in ordinary moments, sunsets, plants, and neighborhood cats How Ruthie met her partner Eric and the healing power of being deeply seen The role of relationships in co-regulation, repair, and transformation Why thresholds aren't always about reaching the other side About the Guest Ruthie Lindsey is a somatic coach, speaker, and author of There I Am: The Journey from Hopelessness to Healing. After surviving a near-fatal car accident at seventeen and navigating decades of chronic pain, Ruthie has devoted her life to helping others reconnect with themselves through compassion, embodiment, and self-trust. Through coaching, retreats, writing, and speaking, she guides people through life's thresholds with humor, honesty, and a deep belief that every part of us belongs. Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system workshop to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week. Connect with Ruthie Lindsey Ruthie Lindsey - www.ruthielindsey.com Join Ruthie on Instagram, where she shares reflections on how to fall more in love with your life. Learn more about events she is hosting and teaching at this year. Read her longer writings on Substack - it's a space for deeper thoughts on healing, relationships, and being human And if her work resonates with you, she invites you to work with her!
S4 · E135
August 11 · 13 min
135 - The Gap: What Happens Between Who You Were and Who You're Becoming
This week is a little different. Instead of interviewing a guest, Sarah shares a deeply personal reflection adapted from her newsletter. This one was called, The Gap. Inspired by her daughter's missing tooth and ever-widening empty space in her smile, Sarah explores the seasons of life when something has fallen away, but what comes next hasn't fully arrived. Through stories of leaving a successful business, navigating parenthood, grief, identity shifts, the pandemic, and years of rebuilding, she reflects on what can be learned in the uncomfortable space between endings and beginnings. If you're in a season of uncertainty, waiting, or wondering when the next chapter will finally emerge, this episode is an invitation to trust the process of becoming. Please pass this along to someone who could use the metaphor of "the gap." In this episode: Why Sarah decided to share her own threshold stories The metaphor of losing baby teeth and growing adult teeth Letting go of a business, identity, and old ways of being What the "gap" years taught about boundaries, resilience, and self-trust The hidden gifts that emerge during seasons of uncertainty Why small steps matter more than certainty Trusting the timing of what is trying to emerge in your life Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week.
S4 · E134
August 4 · 59 min
134 - Sara Avant Stover: Life Beyond Urgency
How do you know when it's time to let go of a version of yourself that once worked? In this rich and deeply reflective conversation, Sarah sits down with returning guest Sara Avant Stover to discuss the seasons of life that require us to slow down, dismantle old identities, and listen more closely to what wants to emerge. Since their last conversation, Sara has experienced a profound period of transformation. She stepped away from a thriving business, deleted social media, got married, moved to France, navigated grief, and entered perimenopause—all while learning to trust a slower, more sustainable pace. Together, Sarah and Sara explore Internal Family Systems (IFS), intuition, nervous system regulation, entrepreneurship, self-trust, and why healing often looks far less dramatic than we imagine. They also discuss the cultural differences between American productivity and the French art de vivre—the art of living—and how learning to value rest, pleasure, and spaciousness can become its own form of healing. If today's episode resonates, go back and listen to witness the earlier threshold where this journey began. 065 - Sara Avant Stover: Navigating the Depths of Heartbreak In this episode: Why Sara dismantled a successful business Finding stability through unexpected seasons Internal Family Systems (IFS) and healing the inner critic Learning to trust the next right step Moving through fear without bulldozing yourself Perimenopause and changing capacity The French art of living versus American productivity culture Why slowing down often accelerates healing Living with uncertainty and self-trust Creating a relationship with urgency that serves life instead of running it ⭐️ If you enjoy this episode, sign up for my free 3-day nervous system workshop — Opting Out of Urgency — happening live on Zoom September 10-17. RSVP here: https://www.sarahtacy.com/opting-out-of-urgency About the Guest Sara Avant Stover (she/her) is the author of three books; an intuitive business strategist; expert in women's spiritual leadership; and a Level 3 Certified Internal Family Systems Practitioner. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa cum Laude from Columbia University's all-women's Barnard College, she had a cancer scare, moved to Thailand, and embarked on a decade-long healing and spiritual odyssey throughout Asia. Since then, she's gone on to uplift tens of thousands of women worldwide. Through her work with spiritual women entrepreneurs, she creates transformative containers that blend practical business strategy with deep inner healing work. Sara has been featured in The New Yorker, Yoga Journal, The Huffington Post, Newsweek, and on ABC, NBC, and CBS. She lives in France, and is online at SaraAvantStover.com. Connect with Sarah Opting Out of Urgency — A free 3-day nervous system workshop to help you move beyond urgency and reconnect with your energy, clarity, and rhythm. Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week. Connect with Sara Avant Stover Visit Sara's Offerings Subscribe to elle-même, Sara's Substack Follow Sara on Instagram Tune into Sara's Podcast
S4 · E133
July 28 · 19 min
133 - Orienting: The Nervous System Tool That Changes Everything
What do a child's missing tooth, a broken steering wheel in the middle of the ocean, and nervous system regulation have in common? In this Mini Musing, Sarah explores one of the most foundational nervous system tools: orientation. When we're activated, our world tends to shrink. We become convinced that what's happening now will last forever, that there are only bad options available, or that we need to fix everything immediately. Orientation helps widen our perspective and reconnect us to what's true, stable, and supportive in the present moment. Through stories of parenting, personal transformation, and an unexpected boating mishap off the coast of Maine, Sarah shares how orienting can help us move from panic and overwhelm into possibility and grounded action. Whether you're navigating a major life transition, feeling stuck in uncertainty, or simply looking for practical nervous system tools, this episode offers a simple practice that can help you find your footing. In this episode: What "orientation" means in nervous system work Why activation narrows our perspective The surprising wisdom of a gap-toothed child How life transitions often mirror natural cycles A real-life story of losing steering at sea Learning to identify layers of support during uncertainty How childhood experiences shape what we perceive as danger Moving from all-or-nothing thinking into possibility Practical ways to orient to safety, support, and stability A closing prayer for widening perspective and trusting ourselves Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week.
S4 · E132
July 21 · 1 hr 9 min
132 - Vasavi Kumar: Finding Your Voice & Reclaiming Your Truth
What happens when you stop outsourcing your worth and finally learn to trust your own voice? In this deeply honest conversation, Sarah sits down with voice trainer, author, and podcast host Vasavi Kumar to explore the transformative power of speaking your truth. Together they unpack the hidden cost of suffering in silence, emotional perfectionism, people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, grief, recovery, and the journey back to self-trust. Vasavi shares her personal story—from childhood bullying and addiction to recovery, relationships, loss, and ultimately finding the freedom that comes from radical self-honesty. She offers practical tools for moving through rumination, regulating emotions, navigating conflict, and accessing what she calls the "Feeling, Friend, and Sage" voices within. This conversation is an invitation to stop abandoning yourself, start listening to your inner wisdom, and discover the clarity that emerges when you finally say it out loud. In This Episode, We Discuss: Why suffering in silence keeps us disconnected from ourselves The difference between rumination and healthy processing How speaking out loud can help regulate emotions Emotional perfectionism and conflict avoidance Learning to identify and interrupt old patterns The connection between voice, nervous system regulation, and self-trust Healing people-pleasing and validation-seeking behaviors Grief, identity shifts, and reclaiming personal power The "Feeling, Friend, and Sage" framework for self-awareness Why clarity grows when we stop emotionally babysitting others About the Guest Vasavi Kumar is a Voice Trainer, Therapist, and Founder of The Out Loud School — a training ground helping entrepreneurs sell, speak, and show up on camera without shrinking. She is also the author of Say It Out Loud and a former TV host with 16 years of entrepreneurship behind her. Her work sits at the intersection of identity, voice, and revenue. Clients come to Vasavi when they're done being the best-kept secret in their industry, and leave knowing exactly how to say it out loud. Resource: Stop Watering Yourself Down On Camera: https://www.vasavikumar.com/training Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week. Connect with Vasavi Learn more about Vasavi Resource: Stop Watering Yourself Down On Camera
S4 · E131
July 14 · 15 min
131 - Vision and the Nervous System: Three Practices To Help Expand Awareness
In this solo episode of Threshold Moments, we explore the powerful relationship between vision and the nervous system. Most of the sensory information entering our brains is visual, yet stress can dramatically narrow our field of awareness, creating both physical and psychological tunnel vision. When we enter fight-or-flight states, our gaze often becomes fixed, our attention narrows, and our ability to perceive new options decreases. This episode offers three simple practices designed to help expand awareness, support nervous system regulation, and create a greater sense of safety and possibility. You'll learn: Why the brain filters the vast majority of incoming sensory information How stress affects visual perception and attention The connection between peripheral vision and nervous system regulation A calming eye-palming practice to reduce sensory input How widening your visual field can shift emotional and mental perspective A simple eye, head, and vestibular reset that promotes orientation and presence These practices can be used throughout the day, especially during periods of stress, overwhelm, screen fatigue, or when you feel stuck in repetitive thinking patterns. Take a breath, expand your view, and discover how changing what—and how—you see can influence the way you feel. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week.
S4 · E131
July 7 · 55 min
130 - Kristin Burgess: Truth, Grief, and the Courage to Rebuild
In this deeply expansive conversation, Sarah Tacy sits down with creative director and co-founder of the Prism House, Kristin Burgess, to trace the long arc of a relationship that began at the very start of Kristin's wedding planning career and unfolds into a story of identity, creativity, partnership, motherhood, and personal truth. What begins as a nostalgic return to Kristin planning Sarah's wedding quickly opens into a much larger exploration of thresholds—those quiet, often disorienting moments where life asks us to outgrow who we've been. Kristin reflects on the early days of building her wedding business while working full-time, the instinctive trust that shaped her creative path, and the evolution from wedding design into storytelling for brands through The Prism House. Along the way, she shares how motherhood, partnership, and creative expansion reshaped everything she thought she knew about capacity, identity, and leadership. The conversation deepens as Kristin speaks candidly about burnout, over-functioning, and the long process of shifting out of survival-driven patterns shaped in childhood. She names the moment she began to move from constant doing into creative clarity—and how that shift quietly changed her marriage, her work, and her sense of self. A pivotal part of this episode is Kristin's time in a remote A-frame in Vermont, a self-imposed retreat that became a turning point for reflection, grief, and truth-telling. From there, she shares the unfolding of a major life transition, including divorce, the complexity of love, and what it means to choose alignment even when it disrupts everything familiar. At its core, this episode is about: Listening to inner knowing when it contradicts external stability The nervous system cost of over-functioning and urgency Moving from survival patterns into creative and emotional truth The grief and expansion that come with outgrowing a long relationship What it means to rebuild a life from self-trust Sarah and Kristin also explore the tension between truth and belonging, and how identity shifts can reshape relationships, community, and creativity in unexpected ways. This is a conversation about endings that are also beginnings—and the quiet, irreversible moment when you start living from what is real now. Topics covered: The early days of wedding planning and creative intuition Building and evolving a creative business while working full-time Motherhood and the breaking point of overwork Transition from By Emily B to The Prism House Feminine/masculine balance and nervous system patterns The A-frame retreat in Vermont and inner reckoning Divorce, grief, and relational transformation Self-trust, truth, and rebuilding identity If this episode resonates, it may be pointing you toward your own threshold—where something in your life is asking to be seen, felt, and reoriented. About the Guest Kristin Burgess is a Creative Director, stylist, and co-owner of The Prism House, a Boston-based creative agency known for immersive brand storytelling, event production, and visual worlds that feel as transportive as they are strategic. With 17 years of experience in styling and art direction, she leads end-to-end creative for photo and video shoots, helping lifestyle brands, hotels, and restaurants translate their identity into meaningful, high-impact visual narratives. Her work is grounded in a narrative-first approach shaped by a decade in editorial as a photo editor, overseeing copywriting, sourcing, and visual production across more than 15 magazines annually. Earlier in her career, she was named among Martha Stewart's Top 50 Wedding Designers, quickly establishing a reputation for creating unforgettable, highly crafted visual experiences. Alongside her creative work, Kristin is known for a life lived in full expression—rooted in movement, nature, motherhood, and a willingness to evolve through both ambition and personal transformation. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week. Connect with Kristin The Prism House Follow Kristin on Instagram
S4 · E129
June 30 · 18 min
129 - Nervous System Work Isn't Boring: Finding the Juice in Healing
When people hear nervous system work, they often imagine something slow, dry, or even boring. But what if healing wasn't about forcing yourself to sit still—and what if regulation could actually feel alive? In this solo episode, Sarah Tacy demystifies nervous system work and shares why slowing down isn't the opposite of vitality—it's the pathway to it. Drawing from her weekly movement class inside Juice, Sarah walks through the practices that help women move from depletion and over-functioning into greater expression, stability, and joy. From lubrication and balance work to playful release, receiving, and community, she explains why nervous system healing doesn't have to be serious to be transformative. Sarah also explores why many of us resist slowing down, how our default patterns lead to burnout, and why small, doable steps matter more than getting it "right." In this episode, Sarah explores: Why slowing down can feel uncomfortable—and why that matters How fast-paced living reinforces old patterns The connection between people-pleasing and burnout Why nervous system work doesn't have to be boring The role of movement, expression, and pleasure in healing Building stability when life feels uncertain Learning to receive support instead of always giving Moving from "I'm okay when you're okay" to "I'm okay when I'm okay" Why boundaries become easier when you're resourced How small, sustainable practices create lasting change Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week.
S4 · E128
June 23 · 1 hr 17 min
128 - Kate Nguy: The Calendar That Changed Everything: Cyclical Living, Burnout, and Raising Hormone-Literate Kids
What if understanding your menstrual cycle could transform not only your relationship with yourself—but your parenting, partnership, and entire household? In this deeply practical and eye-opening conversation, Sarah sits down with women's hormone health practitioner Kate Nguy to explore how chronic stress, the invisible mental load, and nervous system dysregulation impact women's hormones throughout midlife. Kate shares her personal journey through burnout, perimenopause, grief, and overwhelm, and how those experiences led her to create a radically different way of living—one that honors the natural rhythms of the female body instead of fighting against them. Together, Sarah and Kate discuss cyclical living beyond the clichés, including the color-coded family calendar that helps Kate's children understand her changing needs, supports healthier communication at home, and teaches body literacy from an early age. This episode is a powerful invitation to stop treating yourself as a machine and start listening to the wisdom your body has been offering all along. In This Episode, We Explore: Why burnout is often rooted in chronic stress and invisible labor The connection between hormones, nervous system regulation, and emotional capacity What cyclical living actually looks like in everyday family life How different phases of the menstrual cycle affect communication, energy, and boundaries Why ovulation can be an ideal time for difficult conversations The hidden gifts of the luteal phase and the role of discernment Raising hormone-literate children and normalizing conversations about periods Supporting daughters through puberty with body awareness instead of shame Teaching sons emotional literacy through cycle awareness The "invisible agreements" many women carry in relationships—and why they often surface in perimenopause How grief, caregiving, and stress can accelerate burnout Creating practical systems of support that honor changing needs throughout the month About Kate Nguy Kate Nguy is a Certified Women's Hormone Health Practitioner and the founder of Shee Revival, a women's hormone health practice specializing in helping women in midlife understand that the chronic stress and invisible load they carry are the primary drivers of their PMS, perimenopause, and burnout. She is the creator of the Hormone R.E.S.T. Method, the host of the What the HORMONES podcast, and a burnout survivor who rebuilt her own hormonal health from the inside out. Her work bridges clinical hormone science with nervous system regulation and cyclical living frameworks in a way that helps women finally understand what has been happening in their bodies — and what to actually do about it. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week. Connect with Kate Follow me on Instagram @hormoneswithkate Living In FLOW Course - https://www.sheerevival.com/livinginflow Website - Sheerevival.com Podcast - What the HORMONES
S4 · E127
June 16 · 12 min
127 - What If 75% Was Already Done?
What if more is supporting you than you realize? In this mini-musing, Sarah reflects on an art installation she encountered over twenty years ago that transformed the way she understands effort, support, and nervous system regulation. Inspired by an assignment asking students to notice what was "75% done without their effort," this episode becomes an exploration of the unseen forces that sustain us every day. In a world where we are often asked to do more than we feel is possible, widening out to include all that is being done without our effort can be wildly stabilizing. Through stories of lint in the dryer, changing seasons, organ systems, pregnancy, spring growth, and the intelligence of the natural world, Sarah invites listeners to widen their perspective beyond survival mode and hyper-responsibility. When we live as though everything depends entirely on us, our nervous systems tighten, our stress increases, and our perception narrows. But when we begin noticing the "unearned majority" — the countless processes already unfolding without our management — something in the body softens. This episode is a gentle reminder that while responsibility is real, we are not alone in carrying life. In this episode, Sarah explores: The nervous system impact of believing "it's all on me" An art project that changed Sarah's perspective on effort and support The "unearned majority" happening all around us How widening perception can help regulate the body Reticular activating systems and survival-based attention The miracle of bodily processes we never consciously manage Nature, seasons, and the intelligence already unfolding around us The balance between personal responsibility and surrender Simple orienting practices for grounding and regulation Finding your own everyday reminder that you are supported Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week.
S4 · E126
June 9 · 1 hr 8 min
126 - Therese Jornlin: What Happens When You Stop Protecting Yourself From Life
In this deeply reflective conversation, Sarah Tacy sits down with Therese Jornlin to explore a life shaped by threshold moments—those irreversible openings that change how reality is perceived and lived. Therese shares her early experiences of profound awakening following the sudden death of her father at age 15, describing a piercing sense of love, continuity, and the dissolution of fear around death. From there, her life unfolds as a series of inner calls that eventually lead her to Calcutta at age 21, where she lives and serves alongside the Missionaries of Charity. In Calcutta, Therese encounters the raw edges of human suffering and devotion—an experience that strips away narrative, identity, and mental certainty. What remains is presence, service, and an embodied confrontation with what it means to be alive in a world of profound disparity. Together, Sarah and Therese explore: The difference between "seeing truth" and integrating it into daily life What happens when identity and narrative structures collapse The role of the body as an intelligence system and guide Coherence, collective fields, and the power of shared intention The feminine principle, "the Mother," as creative source and organizing intelligence Why simplicity, practice, and presence matter more than conceptual understanding How service becomes a form of spiritual stabilization This episode weaves together mysticism and embodiment, service and systems, collapse and coherence—returning again and again to one central thread: learning by living. If today's episode resonates, go back and listen to witness the earlier threshold where this journey began. 086 - Therese Jornlin: Taking Care Of Your Birth About the Guest Therese Jornlin is a holistic health educator, transformational coach, and therapeutic bodywork practitioner with more than 35 years of experience exploring the connection between body, energy, spirit, and matter. Guided by extensive study, global travel, and deep personal practice, she integrates teachings from both Eastern and Western traditions to support embodied empowerment, self-healing, and meaningful connection with others and the earth. She holds a BA from Duke University and an MA from Loyola University, along with numerous certifications in therapeutic modalities including massage therapy, craniosacral work, Reiki, Zero Balancing, Svastha Yoga, QiGong, and integrative wellness programs. Influenced early by service with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity and later by advanced studies in yoga and women's embodiment, Therese developed the transformational program Women Awake, focused on healing and empowering individuals and communities. A devoted mother of three, her experience as a single parent deeply informs her compassionate, practical, and heart-centered approach to teaching and healing. Connect with Sarah Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtacyt Learn more about Sarah's work Join Sarah's email list If this episode resonated and you're wanting deeper support, come join us inside Juice — Sarah's monthly membership where we practice this work together in real time. This is a space to build capacity, stay connected, and integrate what you're learning—week by week. Connect with Therese Visit Therese's Website Follow Therese on Instagram Return to the Womb of the Mother Retreat

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