Yong Pratt 0:00
Have you ever been asked or told to dim your light? Be less you? Be someone else because maybe somebody in our life didn't understand or appreciate who we are or what we did? Well, today's guest Tara Galleano, has some experience with that and she's going to shed some light on how when we reclaim and rediscover who we are through our bodies, those thoughts and requests will be a thing of the past.

Yong Pratt 0:30
Have you ever felt like there was something missing in your business, something holding you back from the success you're seeking? If so, you are not alone, for nearly 20 years, and that's exactly how I felt as a business owner. It wasn't until I discovered Human Design, that it all became clear. And it turns out that I was the missing piece in my own business. Join me on this journey of discovering the real me and hear stories from other business owners, building businesses around all of their awesomeness. I'm Yong Pratt, and it's time my friend to Amplify Your Awesome™!

Yong Pratt 1:12
Hey there, Amplifiers! Welcome back to the show. Today's guest is Tara Galliano. She's an author, retreat host, speaker and sex therapist that learned to reconnect with her body after leaving a 25 year marriage, and now helps other women do the same. Tara, I am so glad that Rebecca connected us. Welcome to the show.

Tara Galleano 1:34
Thank you so much, Yong. It's a pleasure to be here with you.

Yong Pratt 1:38
So I would love to go back kind of to before you became an entrepreneur, what did life look like? Where did you think you were going to end up? And how did you get here?

Tara Galleano 1:48
Oh, that's funny, because I've always been an entrepreneur.

Yong Pratt 1:52
I love that!

Tara Galleano 1:54
I left school and started my private practice. And I was on I think I held Oh, I was counting a probably about five years of my job, like kind of my semi adult life where I worked for someone else. So I was never, it was always the square peg trying to fit around, never felt like a fit for me, because my time is so valuable. And I needed the flexibility in my life to do the things that were most important to me. There was a short stint where I worked at the University of Colorado. And I worked there part time while i was growing my private practice. And I just needed to leave at some point it was three years in and I just felt like this is not serving my highest good and my time is so valuable. And I learned a lot and so thankful for that experience, but wasn't giving me the juice that I needed to have to get I am today.

Yong Pratt 2:46
And I love that you're talking about time because understanding that your time is more valuable than what other people may presume it to be. I think that's it kind of runs rampant in our culture about you have to give time to this and you give time to this. But nowhere is a talked about giving time to ourselves or taking the time for ourselves. So where do you think that idea or your idea of time and learning to value your time came from?

Tara Galleano 3:13
You know, it was a hard journey. I mean, I was married for 25 years. And that is a lot of time. And what I know particularly from being a therapist and caring for people and being a parent, and really even being a wife was that I give my time and my attention to others to help to love to create. And that that is the most valuable thing I could give to anybody. And what I learned in the process was that I was not giving that to myself in the way that I needed it to do all the things that I was doing for all of these other people that I was in relationship with. And that's when the kind of a light switch and I thought, oh my goodness, I need to shift this.

Yong Pratt 3:59
Yeah. Yeah. And it's one of those subtle shifts to that when we come to the realization or had that lightbulb moment, like you showed that a lot of things can shift and change very, very quickly. So I want to shift into this topic of rediscovering ourselves because I know that in business, like you, I spent a long time trying to fit myself, you know, the the square peg in the round hole or vice versa. I ran a business for a long time, I worked for other people for a very short time. So I quickly learned that I was a really bad employee and I didn't like to follow the rules that they were setting out for me. It was tricky to follow even my own rules that I set in my business. But let's talk about how to rediscover or really reclaim this power. This is energy we have within our bodies that can then be expressed out into the world through our businesses.

Tara Galleano 4:48
Yeah, because I think it's so powerful and I'm really wanting to refine that process for women. Because it's it amplifies right. It amplifies so much in our business and in our Our lives. And what I found was probably the biggest block for so many women is that we reference other people as our source or as as our power. And so because we're this paradigm of performance, if you will, that we need to perform or take care of others, that we forget about ourselves. And then when we're actually able to switch that, and the body, I mean, the body is this great reference point. It's so much vaster than the mind, and the female body can create life. And we can create so much, there's so much inherent power within the body, that it's a wonderful vehicle and reference point for us that we don't have to think about, okay, how do I do all these things the body just knows. And when we allow the wisdom to come through, and accept that is true, that our lives become so much more on point, they become so much more effortless, and that there is so much more flow in the process. And it really is this allowing or the surrender to the body. And that's I think that's really scary.

Yong Pratt 6:03
It is that I was just thinking about that too, about how our culture and our society when it comes to especially the female body, there's this kind of taboo subject, we don't talk about it. We don't talk about things like cycles, and we don't talk about sexuality, we don't talk about these things are kind of just swept under the rug. So for all of my listeners out there, how would you recommend kind of starting this process, because we kind of have to peel back a lot of layers, a lot of learned behavior in order to get to this beautiful place you've just described, where there's this massive wisdom in our body, what is kind of the first a couple of steps that we can take to start to start to tune back in and then help to amplify that out into the world.

Tara Galleano 6:47
I love that because that's so important. Oftentimes, what I find is that there's an illness or health crisis, or some disease or discomfort in the body that women experience. And then all of a sudden, their attention is called there and they're like, okay, now I need to come back into my body. And yes, you do. Yeah, that is the wake up call. Yes. Thank you for heating that. And what happens when we don't have to answer that call, because we're already doing preventative care is so much more powerful.

Tara Galleano 7:15
So if we just take this moment to tap into the inhalation, like where it lands in the body, and you really feel that where the escalation begins, and really feel that. And it's not about dictating or managing the wrath, it's really just about feeling that.

Tara Galleano 7:43
So invite you to try that again, notice where the inhalation lands, there's no right or wrong there just as information on where the isolation begins. Yong, what did you notice that you brought your attention to your breath,

Yong Pratt 8:15
I noticed that I was trying to control the outcome, which is fascinating, because I think as women, we that's what we that's our natural tendency to control things or try to control things. So as you're talking, and the more breaths I took, I could relax into that. But the question I'm thinking is, how often do we do this simple practice of letting ourselves feel, and just letting go, because I know for me, that is extraordinarily hard.

Tara Galleano 8:45
It is, I'd say that is probably the one of the most difficult things that we can do in our lives. And that it takes a lot of courage. And I'm glad that you participated in this with me in this moment, because it's just a tape. And my sense is that the more that we can embrace the simple things in our life, the easier things become. And it is the simple thing that we can actually do that feels sustainable. It's not that I need to change everything, and, you know, address every little detail because then that activates that control and the desire to manipulate or manage. And that's antithetical to this experience that really the experience is to allow and to feel into the moment. And the more that we can do that the more we can tap into the flow, and then we could really produce the results that we want because it will be so effortless because it will be so tapped into the frequency that we bring to this world that that is unique and unlike any other and that that is our gift and mine looks different from yours. And yours is different from everybody else's is such beautiful variety and that is the wonderful piece too, because then it allows less control of like we're all going to look so different. We all are so different.

Yong Pratt 9:58
And that's such a good topic. About too about being different, because I know that growing up, I wanted to be the opposite of different, I wanted to fit in and look like everybody else. And as you know, a red haired, green eyed freckle faced Asian living in a predominantly white community, it was really hard to fit in. But I tried, you know, as hard as I could to do that. And as you were talking, I was visualizing the beauty that could really come out if we just allow, and in your work, do you ever experience clients that have resistance to this idea of simple because I know that when I talk about simple in relation to content, there's a lot of resistance that comes up like Wait, what do you mean, it can be simple? Have you experienced that in your work?

Tara Galleano 10:42
Yeah, yeah. I love that. Because I feel like simple yes, there's resistance. And also, then people want to make sure that it's safe, because they want to know, if I relax into the simple Am I am i is tested, if it's going to give me the results that I want. Because then if it is, you know, more intimacy, more joy, more juiciness, more flow in my business more, you know, sales, then I'll buy it. But if it's not, and it's just simple, well, I can do simple and not get the results. So I think it is again, this process of trusting to Yeah, do you trust yourself? And do you trust the person that is guiding you? Because if you do, and that's, yeah, that's what you need to do.

Tara Galleano 11:25
And the resistance? Absolutely, I mean, I've been a therapist for over 40 years is a resistance that's such a part of our human condition and the armoring that we put on, and the way we want to persevere and the way that we do things, and to introduce something new, especially as adults, it's like, that's gonna blow my mind I world. And I'm like, and is it really going to be simple read because it blows my mind and rocks my world. And I really have to adapt. And what can I grasp on to well, the simple things because then I know where the inhalation lands on my body, and I know where the exhalation begins. And that's a true thing. And that's true.

Yong Pratt 12:04
And that's such a beautiful concept too. And, and just kind of kind of an analogy of life to like, it really can be simple if we make it or we let it to be simple. If we let go of our preconceived notions, if we let go of how things, quote unquote, should be, because there's a lot of shooting in life. And it runs rampant. And I know that I've had to really retrain myself on not using that word, because it's not really a state, it's just it just, I would say almost an excuse, right? We should do this, like, well, who said we should do that? And, and what is the source? Because you said it, we're just a moment ago, and the word was trust. And I feel like, it's taken me a long time in life, you know, decades to get to the place where I have a new relationship with trusting myself, because for so long, I let my trust in others guide my decisions guide what I said or what I didn't say, and that really is something new that I'm experimenting with. So do you have a Do you have something we can work on to really tap back into? So we have, we can tap back into our breath? We have that simplicity there, when it comes to up leveling, and then learning to trust ourselves, especially if we haven't done it for a long time. Are there practices that you could share to help us do that?

Tara Galleano 13:26
I mean, yes, there's so many, because I like you referenced before I was married for 25 years. And yeah, one of the things my former husband wanted me to say was, don't tell people that you're a sex therapist, tell people that you're a clinician, and that's okay. But sex there because a little bit messy and like, okay, so yeah, so really needing to be smaller, and then really coming back to, can I trust myself? Or can I trust him? And what is he saying, is that true? Are people really going to perceive me that way? Or what is true? And so what I found was that oftentimes, my bullshit detector was offline in my relationship. And so coming back and rediscover my body was coming back into my body and understanding what was true for me. And it's been a process. And I know that there are guides and there's coaches, and there's teachers that provide pathways for us, that help enable us get to where we want to go because we see the light at the end of the tunnel, and they're reaching out of hand and inviting us forward. And that we need what I would say these coherent fields that support us, and that if we don't have a teacher or a guide, it's as simple for me and I would say for a lot of people is to be in nature, as a nature provides such coherence.

Tara Galleano 14:36
And that we know oftentimes that there's such bliss and such awareness and such ease when we're in nature. And the more that we can reference that and really template that within our body, the more that we can begin to know this is truth and whatever, you know frenetic and just corded energy we're getting from our cell phones or we're getting from our computer. That is not true. truths. And you can feel the contrast. And you can try this experiment with yourself and say, I'm going to go out in nature and go for a walk and go be with a tree, maybe put your back up against the tree, and feel that for a few moments. And then go be in your cell phone and be with your computer and listen to the radio, or, you know, I mean, how all that stimulation going on and see where you land. And do you know where your breath in your inhale lands and where your exhale begins in that moment. And it may be more difficult, you may know. But my sense is it will be tremendously more difficult. And so you have the contrast. And then you can reach for more of what it is that you want.

Yong Pratt 15:36
Hmm. And the idea of being out in nature is one that I love. And now that it's warmer in the mornings, I love going on the back porch, listening to the birds, we have these beautiful yellow birds, like I've never seen them before, but they're vibrant yellow, and they come land on the hummingbird feeder, the hummingbirds come in and there's just birds everywhere. And just the sun filtering through is enough to help me center myself and get back to that feeling. And I don't I wouldn't say that I'm a meditator by any means. But it almost is sort of that, that meditation that kind of washes over you where you don't have to think about it. It is easy, it is blissful. It is joyful, just to sit in that. So I love that. The question then is, how do we translate that feeling of being in nature into when we sit behind our computer, and we want to share something with our audience and create content? How do we transfer that feeling or those emotions into our work?

Tara Galleano 16:34
I love that, because that is the biggest gift that we can get from nature, it's because nature is doing its own thing. And it's perfect in and of itself. And we can't just be trees standing outside forever here. They've got such amazing intelligence, we just can't replicate that. But what we can do is we can learn. And so what I do is I and I have my book right here, I have my very beautiful book that I write in and write without the connection to the computer and get the download of what is true for me in this moment. Because I've been out in nature, I've taken my walk in the morning, I'm connecting to myself, I'm really feeling like I'm just referencing myself and coming way within me. And so then the expression is so much easier, I write it down in my book before I get plugged in at all. And then because I've had the time and the opportunity to take, give myself a download, and really just express it all, I can dive into my work and begin to create the things that I am meant to create this day.

Yong Pratt 17:36
Oh, that's beautiful. Yeah, getting away from all of the devices, unplugging. checking in with yourself, like you said, getting that download. And that's such a good word. Because people understand what a download on a computer is, and how quickly or how slowly that sometimes happens. And our brains are kind of the same. Some days, the downloads a little faster. Some days, it takes a long time for anything to come out on the other side of that pin. I know for myself, that's definitely true. So would you consider yourself then a writer first and foremost, when it comes to content creation?

Tara Galleano 18:08
I do more and more, you know, I've always felt like I was a writer my whole entire life, I loved writing. And then when I was in my 20s, I gave birth to my two beautiful children who are now adults love them. And something about that my creative energy shifted. And I didn't write like I used to write. And so my creative force was going into raising my kids. And now that my kids are adults, I am writing so much more. And it's you know, it's been a profound gift and recognizing the timing, because that's where I think this should comes in, at least for me. And where I see it with other women. It's like, I should be doing this. I identify as a writer. And so there's this should. And yet the timing just wasn't right. I didn't have resources, I didn't have the excess flow, to go to writing because I was so involved with raising my kids. And the reality is, there's nothing wrong with that, because they're amazing human beings. And I'm so glad!

Yong Pratt 19:08
Isn't it interesting that we we, we should all over ourselves when it comes to this. But we know that in life, there are seasons, there are dormancy seasons, there are growth seasons, yet we don't allow ourselves to also have those same seasons. So when we're growing our kids and we we prepare them to go out into the world. Just because we're not doing certain things we used to do doesn't mean they're not still part of us. We just need to rediscover like you said through our bodies, through through our senses through being out nature, how to make that work again.

Yong Pratt 19:39
So I really appreciate that you share that because it was a practice you had and then you didn't have it for a while. And I know for me in particular and a lot of women, we beat ourselves up so much about the things that we used to be able to do or that we used to enjoy and we no longer do. So the fact that you're now coming back to it, it's kind of come full circle I love that because that's exactly what happens in business. And in life too, right? Everything is in a cycle. It is not linear. It's very sporadic, and lots of ups and downs and twists and turns. And I think being able to use our breath, like you shared and being out in nature, and just understanding that it's okay not to do certain things at certain times, and maybe try new things, because that's been my experience to that.

Yong Pratt 20:26
For a while writing was it every day is a little bit different. Some days, you know, being here on video probably is my absolute favorite way to connect and create because I get to really co create, whether it's with a guest or kind of with the universe as as my companion to help me do all these things. So I just love that there are so many different ways for everyone listening to not only build a business, but to create the things that they love, create the things that they let that light them up, and then really create things that support who they are and how they serve others. So I am curious to know, when you're creating your writing, when you're sitting down, you're journaling? How do you then translate that into something you put out onto the internet, whether it's on social media or through your book? What does that process look like for you?

Tara Galleano 21:15
Oftentimes, I have an idea. And then I'd like to explore. And so I do a lot of Facebook Lives, I do a lot of Instagram lives. And currently I'm doing an Instagram series called living in ceremony, because that has been my desire for a while before that it was dating at 50, which was fun, but limited, because I don't wish to date at this point. But living in ceremony really speaks to me. And so I have the idea of Oh, how do I want to show up for my audience today. And so there is some connection to the relationship. And then feeling into that and feeling into the layers of there's absolutely things that are private that nobody knows. But there's also the personal piece, and there's a liminal field where I want to connect with people and I want to draw them in. And I also want to be able to relate to them where they're at. So knowing those different layers of nuanced layers really helps me and then I start to write from within just setting that intention of I'm going to express what is most important for my audience today. And so I might just write that as an intention, and then see whatever comes forth. And again, then filtering it through, this is private, this is personal, I can share. And this is what my audience probably wants to hear most. And so really working with those layers, and then bringing it forth, but knowing that the expression of it is also valuable, because I need to write what's what's important for me in my private life, as well as my personal as well as for my audience. So just knowing that it's all divinely guided,

Yong Pratt 22:46
Oh, such a such a great visual of you of you doing this, as you're explaining it again, you have such a great way with words that I can sort of see it happening, you know, as as you're describing it. So that's so beautiful. And your audience is so fortunate to be able to, to be connected with you in this way. Because a lot of what you're talking about is is again, going back to the word taboo is our subjects that are not necessarily something we grew up hearing about. So holding space for them, allowing them to, to rediscover all sorts of different things about themselves in many different aspects. I imagine that's, you know, what a gift you're providing to so many women out there, who, who, for the first time in their lives, maybe are tapping into this part of themselves that they've ignored for a long time. And now they get to experience it and express it through your work. So, so thank you for showing up and sharing all that with your audience. Because, wow, just what a tremendous gift that is.

Tara Galleano 23:43
Oh, awesome, thank you again, and it made me think also of the cycles. And so, you know, especially around sexuality, it's oftentimes, we may blame ourselves as women like I should be more sexual, or I'm ignoring this part of my life. And that may be true, but what I also know is that their cycles, their cycles, where Yeah, where there is more dormancy, or there is more vibrancy, or there is more juiciness or there is more play. And that that is part of the process. Because I also know that in this culture, especially in media, women and female bodies are hyper sexualized. And then also, there's this reticence of we don't have the words to speak what is our pleasure? Or what is our desire? Or what is true for us? Because we were never taught how to do that. We just know we're not that hyper sexualized division, and how do we live our lives in between from where we are to where that is. And it's so difficult. And so I really honor that, that we oftentimes we just don't know what our pleasure is.

Tara Galleano 24:46
But what I do know is the more that we're able to claim our desire to claim our pleasure for ourselves, and not necessarily because our partner wants it or because anybody else wants it, but we want it just for ourselves. That we claim this vibrancy, and that we're able to access it in a way that's deep and profound and effortless, that then shines forth in all of the other aspects of our work as like sexual potency, sexual creativity, sexual pleasure, naturally overflows into the other areas of our lives, when we allow it when it is true for us when it's not that hyper sexualized image, we live there, which is fine, too. But I say most of us, we don't. And we just live where we live here. And it's very beautiful, and gentle, and sweet, and lovely and juicy and orgasmic. And you know, it's all of these things. And that is just what it is for us. And that we need to honor that. So coming back to that unique expression that we all have, and how when we tap into that, it effortlessly impacts all of the other areas of our life. Just like when we're constricted, it impacts all other areas of our life. Like, oh, I had this problem here. And now all of a sudden, it's showing up in my work. And now it's showing up in my family. Of course it is the thing.

Yong Pratt 26:04
And it's interesting, too, because there's this idea that we can compartmentalize our lives, right. And I tried to do that for a long time. So I love that you're saying no. If it's happening here, it's going to show up over here. So let's just deal with it. Let's, let's address it, let's explore it, let's do some experimentation. So we can get to the point where we can show up in our most awesome selves and really go out there and and really just use our energy then to amplify all the good work. I know everyone on the listening to right now, everyone's out there doing amazing work. And what if we by just rediscovering our bodies, rediscovering who we are rediscovering our intuition and trust in ourselves that can manifest its way into every nook and cranny in our lives. And it's gonna make our businesses and so much better. Oh, my gosh, Tara, I have loved this conversation so much. I want to make sure that my listeners know where to get your book and where to connect with you To learn more, because there's so many facets of this particular topic. And I want to make sure I'm a resource for them to find you.

Tara Galleano 27:10
Wonderful. So the best way to find me is on my website, www.rediscovermybody.com. And I would love to share my work, I have this book rediscovering my body, and that's available on Amazon.

Yong Pratt 27:21
So I have to go get the book today, I'll go put it in my cart and start diving in. Because I just think, Wow, giving ourselves permission just to be ourselves and rediscovering who we are, what a beautiful way to to then show up in the world as our authentic selves. And it's the very reason this podcast exists so we can amplify our awesome. So Tara has given us some great tools. Today, she's written a beautiful book that we we all need to go get now. So we can show up as more of our authentic selves. Tara, thank you so much for saying yes to this interview, it's been a blast. And I know we're going to be connected in the future at some level. And I'm going to just enjoy every minute of that.

Tara Galleano 28:01
I love it. Thank you so much, Yong. And I just want to say that the I love the book, and I'm really happy that you're gonna go get it because it's a guide book. It's not, you know, a book where somebody is telling you, it's not an expert telling you something, it's really this wonderful, beautiful illustrated version of you get to document you. And so you really get to create all of the information that you need to know your pleasure to know your pain, and to know so much more about your body. And I'm so excited to be bringing this forth. I'm so excited you're gonna get a copy.

Yong Pratt 28:34
Yeah, I can't Yeah, I can't wait to dive in. When I when I get it. And when I go through it, I'll reach out to you and, and, and, and share with you if you would like that sort of my process because yeah, I love sharing with others, you know, when I get their books when I take their courses, just reporting back because I know as a course creator, myself and as a coach, it's so nice to not that I have to be affirmed. But it's so nice to be able to receive that back after putting so much out into the universe. So I'm looking forward to it. Thank you so much for being here today.

Tara Galleano 29:08
Thanks so much.

Yong Pratt 29:10
Wow, what an amazing conversation that was to talk with Tara today. You know, I had a whole list of questions written out that I wanted to ask. However, as is usually the case, I'll write out some questions just to kind of gather my thoughts. And then we'll totally go off script, which I really, really adore, letting sort of a universe letting the energy of our conversation guide us. And that's really what what I love most about bringing guests onto the show about being in the energy of someone else, co creating with them like I shared on today's interview, and really this topic about rediscovering ourselves by rediscovering our body. Wow, what a profound topic. I invite you to come on over to my Facebook group, the Arena of Awesome. Share your biggest takeaways share your biggest ahas and hey If you also get the book on Amazon, wouldn't it be cool if we did some sort of book club or we had some chats about that? I would love that I would love the accountability of going through a book and rediscovering and having other people in that process with me, come on over to the arena. Tell me also if you're interested in that, because I think that would be a really fun way to honor Tara's work, and to honor her for being a guest and to demonstrate to her that her work is so valuable, so needed and so important. Okay, my friends, I will see you inside the Arena. Until then, go out there today and Amplify Your Awesome™! Cheers.

Yong Pratt 30:38
Thanks for tuning in, do the Amplify Your Awesome™! podcast. Let's continue this conversation inside my Facebook community beat arena of awesome while it's still free and open to new members, come share your biggest takeaways and Ahas. Plus, every week inside the arena, you'll get access to me and I may even share content I don't share anywhere else. Until next time, my friend, go out there today and Amplify Your Awesome™!

Transcribed by https://otter.ai