In this episode, we’re joined by Cat Merrick, founder of This Vibrant Life and a specialist in movement, breathwork and stress education. With two decades of experience in dance and teaching, ten years in yoga Cat brings a rare blend of science based insight and embodied wisdom.

Together, we explore how chronic stress shapes our bodies, our choices and our sense of self - and how simple, intentional practices can guide us back to clarity, vitality and grounded self advocacy. Cat shares how she uses her expertise in functional breathwork and coaching to help people move out of overwhelm and into a more vibrant, aligned way of living.

If you’re navigating midlife, feeling stretched thin or craving a deeper connection to your body’s intelligence, this conversation offers practical guidance, compassionate reframes and a powerful reminder that that no matter your story, your season or struggles - JOY belongs to you! .

You can connect with Cat via Instagram and Facebook

If you have resonated with any of the themes in this episode we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. You can also some love by following, subscribing or rating the show.

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.unfunk-yoursoul.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® ⁠ founded by Marie Shaw, a well-being practitioner, X-HAIL® Instructor and NLP Coach in training. UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® is more than a wellness brand and podcast - it's a movement rooted in mind-body practices, soulful healing and radical self-love. We create spaces for transformation whether you're navigating menopause, sobriety, midlife shifts, finding yourself after a change in your life, seeking community or simply looking to add to your well-being toolkit. Come for the CALM, Stay for the GLOW UP!

Find our next event here

You can follow Marie's personal journey to becoming her authentic true self by reading and subscribing to ⁠⁠Growing with Grace. ⁠⁠Where she reflects on life's lessons, blessings and the seasons of change as she enters her unapologetic AF ERA.

Supporting the show with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps sustain this community-led space, a simple way to pour back in and fuel the powerful work of amplifying women’s voices in midlife.

DISCLAIMER: the content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of this podcast. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional if you are experiencing difficulties with mental health.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Maeve McAnulty, founder of The Metal Masseuse - a bold, inclusive wellness practice built for people who never felt at home in the traditional, beige world of wellness. With deep roots in aromatherapy and natural ingredients, Maeve specialises in women’s health, focusing on four essential pillars: sleep, energy, pain, and stress management.

Maeve’s mission is powerful and unapologetic: to create a wellness space where everyone fits in. With a love of heavy metal, and a grounded, no‑nonsense warmth, she brings a refreshing authenticity to an industry that often feels out of touch.

This episode is especially for women rising in midlife - women who are done seeking permission, approval or validation, and are ready to claim their next chapter on their own terms. It’s also for anyone craving a wellness space that feels real, inclusive, rebellious and deeply human.

You can connect with Maeve via Instagram and Facebook.

If you have resonated with any of the themes in this episode we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. You can also some love by following, subscribing or rating the show.

Tag UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® whenever you post on social media so we can continue to share the love.

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.unfunk-yoursoul.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® ⁠ founded by Marie Shaw, a well-being practitioner, X-HAIL® Instructor and NLP Coach in training. UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® is more than a wellness brand and podcast - it's a movement rooted in mind-body practices, soulful healing and radical self-love. We create spaces for transformation whether you're navigating menopause, sobriety, midlife shifts, finding yourself after a change in your life, seeking community or simply looking to add to your well-being toolkit.

Come for the CALM, Stay for the GLOW UP! Find our next event here

You can follow Marie's personal journey to becoming her authentic true self by reading and subscribing to ⁠⁠Growing with Grace. ⁠⁠Where she reflects on life's lessons, blessings and the seasons of change as she enters her unapologetic AF ERA.

Supporting the show with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps sustain this community-led space, a simple way to pour back in and fuel the powerful work of amplifying women’s voices in midlife.

DISCLAIMER: the content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of this podcast. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional if you are experiencing difficulties with mental health.

In this episode, Marie reflects on turning 50 and the quiet reckoning this milestone has stirred - an inner shift that’s less about age and more about finally hearing herself clearly. She speaks openly about her relationship with her parents, how old dynamics have softened, and how this has opened a deeper well of self‑trust, acceptance and emotional clarity. What emerges is a conversation about identity, belonging and the quiet courage it takes to meet yourself honestly at midlife.

Marie explores how reaching 50 feels like a homecoming - an invitation to release inherited expectations, rewrite internal narratives and recognise the wisdom that comes from decades of lived experience. It’s a chapter marked by a steady reclamation of self. This episode holds space for the tenderness, the grief, the gratitude, the relief and the surprising freedom that comes with finally trusting yourself.

You’ll hear reflections on:

• ​How midlife can be welcomed with clarity and not confusion
• ​The shifting dynamics of parental relationships and what that means for the future
• ​Why self‑trust deepens when external validation loses its power
• ​The emotional reckoning that comes with recognising what you’ve outgrown
• ​Practical ways to honour this chapter with compassion rather than urgency

If you’re navigating your own transition - whether it’s turning 50, entering a new season of life or simply feeling the pull toward deeper self‑understanding- this episode offers a grounded, gentle space to reflect. It’s not about reinventing yourself; it’s about recognising who you’ve quietly been becoming all along and stepping into that truth with peace, acknowledgement and a renewed sense of inner authority.

If you have resonated with any of the themes in this episode we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. You can also some love by following, subscribing or rating the show.

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.unfunk-yoursoul.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® ⁠ founded by Marie Shaw, a well-being practitioner, X-HAIL® Instructor and NLP Coach in training. UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® is more than a wellness brand - it’s a movement created to help women reconnect with their authentic selves and reclaim joy, especially during midlife transitions. It’s rooted in holistic mind-body practices and designed to support emotional, physical, and spiritual transformation in Staffordshire, UK.

Find our next event here

You can follow Marie's personal journey to becoming her authentic true self by reading and subscribing to ⁠⁠Growing with Grace. ⁠⁠Where she reflects on life's lessons, blessings and the seasons of change as she enters her unapologetic AF ERA.

If you would like to show your support for the Podcast and Marie’s work buy a virtual vegan pizza at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠. This will help to support Marie, so she can continue creating more content for you.

DISCLAIMER: the content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of this podcast. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional if you are experiencing difficulties with mental health.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Maxine Mallen, founder of Coming Home Coaching. Max’s work is shaped by both her professional training and her lived experience of rebuilding life after abuse and divorce. She brings a rare blend of psychological expertise and personal insight - supporting clients not just with theory, but with deep understanding, resilience, and hard‑won healing.

Trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Thinking Skills and Mindfulness, Max weaves structured therapeutic tools with compassion, grounding practices and practical strategies. Her approach helps people move through anxiety, low self‑esteem, relationship challenges, recovery and major life transitions with greater clarity, confidence and emotional stability.

For Max, healing isn’t about “fixing” yourself. It’s about recognising your strength, reclaiming your voice, and creating a life that feels safe, aligned and empowered. Her story is a powerful reminder that riding the waves of change is a process of rebuilding, reconnecting and choosing yourself.

This episode is especially for midlife women navigating major life transitions, healing from past relationships or seeking a more grounded, self‑led way forward.

You can contact Max via her website and social media channels:

Instagram: https://www.instragram.com/cominghomecoaching/

Facebook: Coming Home Coaching

Website: https://www.cominghomecaiching.net

If you have resonated with any of the themes in this episode we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. You can also some love by following, subscribing or rating the show.

Tag UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® whenever you post on social media so we can continue to share the love.

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.unfunk-yoursoul.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠

UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® ⁠ founded by Marie Shaw, a well-being practitioner, X-HAIL® Instructor and NLP Coach in training. UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® is more than a wellness brand - it’s a movement created to help women reconnect with their authentic selves and reclaim joy, especially during midlife transitions. It’s rooted in holistic mind-body practices and designed to support emotional, physical, and spiritual transformation in Staffordshire, UK.

Find our next event here

You can follow Marie's personal journey to becoming her authentic true self by reading and subscribing to ⁠⁠Growing with Grace. ⁠⁠Where she reflects on life's lessons, blessings and the seasons of change as she enters her unapologetic AF ERA.

If you would like to show your support for the Podcast and Marie’s work buy a virtual vegan pizza at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠. This will help to support Marie, so she can continue creating more content for you.

DISCLAIMER: the content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical/mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical/mental health advice or delay in seeking treatment because of this podcast. Always seek advice from qualified healthcare professionals if you are experiencing difficulties with mental health.

In this episode, Marie explores the quiet, complicated wayschildhood survival strategies follow us into adulthood - especially the deep‑rooted need to control everything around us. What begins as a way to create safety inan unpredictable world can become a lifelong pattern of micromanaging, hypervigilance, fixing and gripping tightly to anything that feels like it might slip.

We look at how control becomes a shield, how it shapes yourrelationships and decision‑making, and what it feels like to slowly relinquish control. It’s about learning to trust life again, piece by piece, and discovering that letting go isn’t the same as losing power - it’s reclaiming it. This conversation unpacks what it means to recognise and hold space for thatunderstanding from a place of peace and acknowledgement.

You’ll hear reflections on:

• ​How childhood environments create control‑driven habits
• ​Why letting go can feel threatening, even when life is stable
• ​The emotional shift from survival mode to self‑trust
• ​Practical ways to soften old patterns without self‑judgment

If you’ve been labelled a control freak and ever wondered why you react so strongly to uncertainty, why you plan five steps ahead or why surrender makes you feel vulnerable, this episode offers a grounded, compassionate space to reflect. It’s not about blaming the past; it’s about understanding it so you can step into your next chapter with peace, acknowledgement and understanding.

If you have resonated with any of the themes in this episode please leave a comment, follow, subscribe or rate and share the episode.

Tag UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® whenever you post on social media so we can continue to share the love.

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.unfunk-yoursoul.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® ⁠ founded by Marie Shaw, a well-being practitioner, X-HAIL® Instructor and NLP Coach in training. UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® is more than a wellness brand - it’s a movement created to help women reconnect with their authentic selves and reclaim joy, especially during midlife transitions. It’s rooted in holistic mind-body practices and designed to support emotional, physical, and spiritual transformation in Staffordshire, UK.

Find our next event here

You can follow Marie's personal journey to becoming herauthentic true self by reading and subscribing to ⁠⁠Growing with Grace. ⁠⁠Where she reflects on life's lessons, blessings and the seasons of change as she enters her unapologetic AF ERA.

If you would like to show your support for the Podcast andMarie’s work buy a virtual vegan pizza at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠. This will help to support Marie, so she can continue creating more content for you.

DISCLAIMER: the content in this podcast is not intended tobe a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of this podcast. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional if you are experiencing difficulties with mental health.

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Chamiah Goulbourne, the inspiring creator behind Nourish Me Wild. Chamiah is a plant‑based chef who travels across the UK and Europe, nourishing women on health and wellbeing retreats with food rooted in the seasons, bold flavours and a deep belief in plants as medicine.

When she’s not cooking, Chamiah is out exploring the land - foraging for wild herbs and natural remedies that she transforms into skincare, art and herbal tinctures for her online shop. Her lifelong connection to nature shapes everything she creates.

Chamiah opens up about how shifting to a plant‑based diet supported her own health challenges, including stress, inflammation and allergies. Her story is a powerful reminder of how reconnecting with nature and embracing simple, nourishing food can support women - especially during midlife through hormonal changes, burnout and the desire to feel more connected.

You can contact Chamiah, via her website and social media channels:

Website: https://nourishmewild.myshopify.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishme.wild

If you have resonated with any of the themes in this episode please leave a comment, follow, subscribe or rate and share the episode.

Tag UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® whenever you post on social media so we can continue to share the love.

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.unfunk-yoursoul.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® ⁠ founded by Marie Shaw, a well-being practitioner, X-HAIL® Instructor and NLP Coach in training. UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® is more than a wellness brand - it’s a movement created to help women reconnect with their authentic selves and reclaim joy, especially during midlife transitions. It’s rooted in holistic mind-body practices and designed to support emotional, physical, and spiritual transformation in Staffordshire, UK.

Find our next event here

You can follow Marie's personal journey to becoming her authentic true self by reading and subscribing to ⁠⁠Growing with Grace. ⁠⁠Where she reflects on life's lessons, blessings and the seasons of change as she enters her unapologetic AF ERA.

If you would like to show your support for the Podcast and Marie’s work buy a virtual vegan pizza at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠. This will help to support Marie, so she can continue creating more content for you.

DISCLAIMER: the content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of this podcast. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional if you are experiencing difficulties with mental health.

In this SHORT Series: Let's Talk Turning 50: The Midlife Reset Marie reflects on the intentional steps she’s taking as she celebrates turning 50. She shares how she’s creating a life that truly aligns with who she is today - and the future she wants to actively curate. It’s a story rooted in growth, resilience and embracing midlife with passion and purpose.

This episode is for you if you’re navigating midlife transitions, preparing for a new chapter or moving through shifts such as an empty nest, relationship changes or a career change.

If you have resonated with any of the themes in this episode we'd love to hear from thoughts in the comments.

Don't forget to Subscribe, Review and Share. Tag UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® whenever you post on social media so we can continue to share the love.

You can follow UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.unfunk-yoursoul.com⁠⁠⁠

⁠

UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® ⁠ founded by Marie Shaw, a well-being practitioner, X-HAIL® Instructor and NLP Coach in training. UNFUNK YOUR SOUL® is more than a wellness brand - it’s a movement rooted in holistic mind-body practices, soulful healing and radical self love, created to help women reconnect with their authentic selves and reclaim joy, especially during midlife transitions.

Find our next event here

You can follow Marie's personal journey to becoming her authentic true self by reading and subscribing to ⁠⁠Growing with Grace. ⁠⁠Where she reflects on life's lessons, blessings and the seasons of change as she enters her unapologetic AF ERA.

If you would like to show your support for the Podcast and Marie’s work buy a virtual vegan pizza at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠. This will help to support Marie, so she can continue creating more content for you.

DISCLAIMER: the content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of this podcast. Always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional if you are experiencing difficulties with mental health.