The Calm Collective - a wellness podcast for women – Details, episodes & analysis

In this eye-opening episode of The Calm Collective, we’re diving into one of the most essential (and misunderstood) pillars of wellness: sleep.

From late-night wake-ups to trouble falling asleep, we’re debunking common myths and offering real, actionable tools to help you get the deep, restorative rest your body and mind crave.

We explore the surprising connection between blood sugar and sleep, how much sleep you actually need, and simple shifts—from food choices to bedtime routines—that can make a big impact. Plus, we talk about the emotional resistance many of us have to slowing down and how to gently work through it.

What You’ll Learn:💤 Common myths around waking in the night or struggling to fall asleep
💤 The ideal number of sleep hours (and why it matters)
💤 How blood sugar fluctuations may be sabotaging your rest
💤 Nourishing foods that naturally support healthy sleep
💤 The benefits of quality sleep you might not know about
💤 How to build a calming bedtime routine that sticks
💤 Why we resist rest—and how to shift that pattern

Resources + Tools:Check the show notes for sleep-supportive tools, bedtime routine guides, and our favorite sleep-promoting foods and supplements.

• Follow us on Instagram: @colleen_mindfullynourished and @ashlee.livingstone

  
  

  Whether you’re a light sleeper, a night owl, or just craving more energy—this episode is your invitation to reclaim rest and finally wake up feeling refreshed.

In this episode of The Calm Collective, we turn the spotlight on Ashlee as she shares her transformative journey into personal growth and breathwork. Ashlee opens up about how her own challenges with stress, overwhelm, and balancing a busy life led her to explore breathwork as a powerful tool for healing and empowerment. She breaks down the science behind breathwork, how it helps regulate the nervous system, and why building a supportive community is essential for lasting change.

What You’ll Learn:
✨ Ashlee’s path to personal growth and discovery
✨ How breathwork transformed her relationship with stress and overwhelm
✨ The science behind breathwork and its incredible benefits
✨ Practical ways to balance health and wellness amidst a busy life
✨ Why community and support are key to long-term well-being

Resources Mentioned:

• Try a short breathwork here - Download Calm Waves and breathe your way to calm

• Connect with Ashlee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashlee.livingstone/
  

Get ready to be inspired as Ashlee shares how small, intentional shifts can create lasting transformation!

About Ashlee:
Ashlee Livingstone is a transformation coach and breathwork facilitator who empowers high-achieving women, busy moms, and entrepreneurs to release stress, create clarity, and build habits that support their well-being.

As a mom to an only boy, a wife, and a devoted dog mom, Ashlee understands firsthand the challenges of balancing a full life while staying connected to yourself. Through her work, she helps women overcome limiting beliefs, prioritize their emotional health, and build lives filled with confidence, calm, and freedom.

In this episode of The Calm Collective, Colleen opens up about her personal journey from burnout and chronic exhaustion to reclaiming her health and vitality. We explore the pivotal moment that shifted her perspective, the difference between dieting and sustainable lifestyle changes, and how she learned to trust her body again. Colleen’s story is a powerful reminder that true wellness isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about honoring your body’s wisdom and making choices that nourish your mind, body, and spirit.

What You’ll Learn:
✨ Colleen’s struggles with chronic fatigue and health challenges
✨ Her turning point and journey toward lasting change
✨ Why sustainable lifestyle shifts are more effective than diets
✨ How nutrition can empower women to reclaim their energy
✨ Practical tips and trusted resources to support your own wellness journey

Resources Mentioned:

• [Insert relevant books, websites, or tools here]
• Connect with Colleen on IG: https://www.instagram.com/colleen_mindfullynourished/
  

Colleen is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner,Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and co-host of The Calm Collective podcast.

With a no-nonsense yet deeply supportive approach, she helps burnt-out, anxious moms in their 30s and 40s regain their energy, calm, and clarity. Through functional lab testing, whole-food nutrition, and nervous system support,

Colleen empowers women to break free from exhaustion and thrive. When she's not diving into all things wellness, you’ll find her soaking up nature on walks or at the beach, spending time with friends/family, or reading (usually more than one book at once)

Reclaim your energy guide link - https://mindfully-nourished.myflodesk.com/reclaimenergy

Join us as we uncover how small, consistent changes can lead to profound transformation!

Welcome - we are so glad you landed here. This is episode number 1 of The Calm Collective - a wellness podcast for women.

In this kick off episode we share who we are (hi we are Colleen and Ashlee), why we started this podcast and what you can expect.

It's short and sweet but a great way to connect and get to know us and the podcast!

For more information about Colleen follow her here:https://www.instagram.com/colleen_mindfullynourished/

For more information about Ashlee follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/ashlee.livingstone/

In this solo episode of The Calm Collective, Colleen takes you on a deep dive into the powerful link between mindset and healing. She unpacks how your thoughts, beliefs, and patterns can either support or sabotage your health journey—and why true transformation starts from within.

Colleen shares the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset, why consistency (not perfection) is essential for lasting change, and how small daily shifts in awareness and intention can create profound healing over time.

You'll walk away with simple, practical strategies to start rewiring your mindset and supporting your body’s natural ability to heal.

What You’ll Learn:

1. How your mindset directly impacts your health and well-being
2. The key differences between a fixed and a growth mindset
3. Practical strategies to create sustainable mindset shifts
4. Why consistency matters more than doing it perfectly
5. How awareness and intention are foundational for true healing

In this solo episode of The Calm Collective, Ashlee dives deeper into the practice of breathwork—what it really is, why it works, and how to use it in a safe, grounded, and empowering way.

Ashlee shares her personal perspective on the importance of trauma-informed breathwork and why safety and intentionality must come before intensity. She unpacks how your breath directly influences your nervous system, your emotions, and your overall health—and how to build a supportive relationship with breathwork that aligns with your unique needs and life.

Whether you’re brand new to breathwork or deepening your practice, this episode will help you understand its transformative potential—not just in healing moments, but as a daily anchor to return to yourself.

What You’ll Learn:

• What breathwork actually is (and isn’t)
• Why non-trauma-informed approaches can be harmful—and how to recognize red flags
• The importance of safety, consent, and nervous system awareness in your practice
• How breathwork supports emotional processing, insight, and nervous system regulation
• The physical and mental health benefits of consistent breathwork
• How to gently integrate breathwork into your everyday routines

Resources Mentioned:

In this solo episode, Colleen opens up about her personal journey with hormonal imbalance, including being diagnosed with endometriosis at age 14 and told she’d likely never be able to have kids. She shares how that difficult diagnosis led her down a path of learning how to support her body naturally—through nutrition, lifestyle, and foundational healing.

Colleen unpacks the common myths around hormone health and explains why hormones are responders, not the root cause. If you’ve been chasing symptoms and still not feeling better, this episode offers the clarity you’ve been craving.

💡You'll Learn:

• Why hormone health is about more than just your period
• How gut health, blood sugar, and stress directly impact your cycle
• Why PMS, cramps and mood swings aren't normal (even if they are common)
• Foundational habits to restore hormonal balance - without quick fixes

Simple, sustainable nutrition and lifestyle changes that actually work

Whether you're struggling with painful cycles, feeling exhausted around your period, or just want to feel more in control of your health—this episode will give you the insight, encouragement, and practical tools to feel more energized and at ease in your body.

👉 Ready for deeper support? Join the Fatigue toFlourish group coaching program to get to the root, restore your energy, and experience better cycles—all in a powerful, supportive community.

DM Colleen the word “Flourish” or click the link: https://fatiguetoflourish.my.canva.site/

Follow us here: Ashlee & Colleen

In our very first guest expert episode, we’re joined by Rachel Robertson, Founder of Return to Form—a passionate movement specialist and wellness guide—for a powerful conversation about redefining how we relate to movement, stress, and rest.

Rachel shares her wisdom on the importance of recovery, how stress impacts the body’s ability to heal, and why building a more intuitive relationship with movement is essential for long-term wellness. Together, we explore what it means to listen to your body, rest without guilt, and stay consistent with movement in a way that feels good—not forced.

We also dive into the willingness to change, how it is often met first with resistance but creates opportunities to feel so good on the other side.

What You’ll Learn:
The connection between movement, recovery, and your nervous system
How to build trust with your body through intuitive movement
Why rest is not a reward—but a requirement
Ways to incorporate mindful movement into your daily life with consistency
How to soften into change, let go of "shoulds," and lead with self-trust

Follow Rachel here: Return to form

• Check out Rachel's Online Mat Class Here

In this humorous & heartfelt episode of The Calm Collective, we get real about the messy, beautiful truth of motherhood—especially the moments that don’t go as planned.

We explore how hustle culture and nervous system dysregulation contribute to those “mom fail” moments, and why they’re not signs of failure, but powerful invitations to slow down, reflect, and realign.

Through honest conversation, we share personal parenting mishaps, what they taught us, and how we’re learning to hold grace and growth side-by-side.

You'll also hear tips for managing the invisible mentalload, balancing responsibilities, and setting yourself up for more ease and less overwhelm—without needing to be perfect.

What You’ll Learn:
- Why “mom fails” often stem from doing too much, too fast- The weight of the mental load—and how to manage it with more intention- How to find a more sustainable balance in parenting responsibilities- Ways to regulate your nervous system in the thick of motherhood
- Planning ahead with compassion (and flexibility!) for more grounded days- How to move from guilt to grace—and turn mishaps into meaningful growth

Connect with us on Instagram: ⁠Ashlee⁠& ⁠Colleen

In this solo episode of The Calm Collective, Ashlee takes you deeper into the dynamics of drama and how it drains your energy, disrupts your nervous system, and keeps you stuck in survival mode.

She unpacks the emotional toll of staying in the DramaTriangle (Victim, Rescuer, Persecutor) and how these patterns often show up unconsciously in everyday life. Ashlee then shares simple but powerful nervous system regulation tools to help you reclaim calm in the moment—and introduces the Empowerment Dynamic as a healthier path forward.

Through personal insight and practical guidance, Ashleeshows how personal growth work helps you move through drama faster, respond instead of react, and stay grounded in your own power.

What You’ll Learn:

- The energetic cost of staying stuck in drama

- Tools to regulate your nervous system when triggered

- How the Empowerment Dynamic helps you shift from reactivity to conscious choice

- The role of personal growth in building emotional resilience - How to create space between stimulus and response so you can lead with intention

Connect with us on Instagram: ⁠Ashlee⁠& ⁠Colleen