Unmasking Shame, Embracing Vulnerability: How Women Heal Through Embodiment with Lucy Maeve
In this deeply personal and radically honest conversation with Lucy Maeve, we delve into the emotional landscape of aging and the layered meaning of birthdays—not just as milestones, but as mirrors of our unfulfilled choices and personal growth. Together, we unpack themes of liberation, shame, and the struggle for authenticity in a world that often demands masks. Through the lens of vulnerability and embodied healing, Lucy offers a powerful invitation to embrace movement, connection, and the freedom that comes from owning our stories. This is a conversation about reclaiming joy, finding community in shared experience, and learning to live fully and unapologetically.BioLucy Maeve is a somatic coach for women who’ve outgrown the performance of having it all together - and are ready to live lives big enough to hold all of them.After a decade on the trading floor at J.P. Morgan, Lucy knows what it means to be high-functioning on the outside while quietly unravelling inside. She left that world to do the deeper work—and now helps other women do the same.Her clients are self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and deeply tired of carrying the weight of their own survival strategies. They’ve done the therapy. Read the books. Gained the insight. But the same patterns still show up: especially in love.Lucy helps women unwind those patterns at the level of the body, reclaiming safety, self-trust, and the ability to stay connected without abandoning themselves.Her work isn’t about becoming more likable or finally finding “the one.” It’s about expanding your capacity to love: yourself, your people, your life, from a place of truth, not trauma.At the core of her practice is the Liberated Life: a life that doesn’t require you to shrink, perform, or disconnect in order to belong. A life where your nervous system can soften, your voice can rise, and your presence is no longer a performance, but a home.Takeaways* Birthdays can evoke deep emotions and reflections on life.* Grief often accompanies the realization of unfulfilled potential.* Expectations can weigh heavily as we age.* Liberation is more about internal freedom than external circumstances.* Shame is a common experience that can be addressed through vulnerability.* Community support is vital for healing and growth.* Embodiment practices can help release pent-up emotions.* Honesty in relationships fosters deeper connections.* Criticism often reflects the critic's own insecurities.* Women need to support each other in their journeys. LinksFind Lucy on Instagram.Offerings from Lucy. Chapters00:00 Reflections on Birthdays and Aging02:43 Navigating Life Choices and Grief05:45 The Weight of Expectations and Commitment08:41 Exploring the Concept of Liberation11:47 Shame and Vulnerability in Women's Experiences14:37 The Power of Community and Shared Stories17:29 Embodiment and Movement as Healing20:28 The Role of Honesty in Relationships23:24 Facing Criticism and Embracing Authenticity26:09 The Importance of Female Connection29:09 The Journey Towards Self-Responsibility31:54 Finding Joy Amidst Struggles35:03 The Dance of Emotions and Energy37:45 The Call to Liberation and Self-ExpressionKeywordsbirthdays, aging, grief, life choices, liberation, shame, vulnerability, community, embodiment, relationships, authenticity, female connection, self-responsibility, joy, emotionsThank you to our headline sponsors for this seasonMariah Friend is a poet, former ICU nurse, and creator of Heartbeats —a nurturing community where creative caregivers find their rhythm and permission to honour all of life's seasons as sacred. Drawing from her experiences with grief, motherhood, and professional burnout, she accompanies others through life's natural cycles with compassion and intuitive wisdom as a peer, never an expert.In her work as a community builder, tarot reader, and podcast host, Mariah creates spaces where the "both/and" of the human experience is honoured: joy intertwined with grief, rest alongside growth, solitude beside belonging. Like nature, she believes our lives ebb and flow in cycles with opportunities to embrace their distinct wisdom and champions stories of others embodying a unique path. Mariah invites you to join Heartbeats and discover your resonance with the pulse of life. You can learn more about her seasonal journal and how to purchase it here.✹The Unmasked Woman✹ (Hannah) is a writer and coach for late-discovered neurodivergent women. She writes candidly about living unmasked in a neurotypical, patriarchal, capitalist world.✹Business Unmasked✹ is her newsletter for self-employed neurodivergent women who want to experience more peace & profit. Hannah struggled with CFS/ME and autistic burnout for four years. Now recovered and thriving, she’s keen to share what she knows about building a business that’s kind on the nervous system while bringing the financial rewards we all hope for.Neurodivergent women shouldn’t waste our extraordinary brains on bog-standard neurotypical business strategies as they’re not compatible with our neurological wiring.Burnout is disabling. Overwhelm is stressful. Financial insecurity plays havoc on the nervous system.Unlock Peace & Profit in your Business by using Hannah’s Free gift; 4 (Surprisingly Simple!) Strategies For Neurodivergent Women.* Escape the paralysis of overwhelm and feel excited about your next steps.* Tap into your unique gifts and watch your bank account flourish—reflecting the actual value you bring to the world.* Rise from burnout, rejuvenated, and feel empowered to move forward sustainably.You can download this resource here.Sarah Teresa Cook is a trauma-informed creative mentor who works 1:1 with sensitive and neurodivergent writers—or with anyone craving a softer, more sustainable way in. She also writes the Substack newsletter, For the Birds.If burnout has dulled your creative spark—or made it hard to begin—"Creative Vitality" is a free, gentle guide to help you reconnect with your voice, your pace, and your aliveness.The result? You’ll develop practices that honor your nervous system and help you:* Build sustainable habits, so you can avoid burnout and work in rhythm with yourself.* Cultivate artistic self-trust, so you can follow your instincts and take creative risks.* Rediscover your capacity for enchantment, so you can create with joy and curiosity again.Join Sarah in cultivating momentum alongside safety—get "Creative Vitality" here.Nicola Washington is not your typical Instagram strategist and educator. Her approach is the antidote to influencer-culture and bro-marketing tactics that have sucked the connection and creativity out of using Instagram, and that ignore the needs of writers and authors. She'll say with her whole chest that she doesn't care about your follower count and, while your Instagram audience will grow when you work with her, and you will find more readers for your work, she'll also make sure you're not living in service to the algorithms, or wasting time on tactics that won't work for you.If you've ever felt overwhelmed, anxious or plain old confused about how best to harness Instagram to find more readers for your work, Nicola offers a range of support - including a monthly membership and 121 services - to writers and authors at all stages in their writing and publication journey. Get in touch with her on Instagram @toomuch_social or visit her website, toomuchsocial.com to find out more about her services. She'd love to hear from you!You can find her podcast episode here.Marisa Guthrie is a business coach and entrepreneur who helps solopreneurs move out of shame, claim their value, and grow profitably without compromising their ethics. She supports solopreneurs in creating business models that have social justice baked into them, ensuring their work aligns with both their values and their financial goals. With nearly 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, Marisa brings deep expertise in building ethical, sustainable businesses that thrive. She also writesThe Reluctant Capitalist™ on Substack.If you’d like tailored support to build a business that honours your values, energy, and goals, you can apply for a 60-minute strategy session with Marisa here: https://marisaguthriecoaching.co.uk/apply-now-form.Marisa was on Season 1 of the podcast and you can listen to her episode on to grow your business with integrity here.With gratitude to Caroline Harris from Reconnect to Redirect. Website: Direction Aligned. Get full access to The Burnout Rebellion at theburnoutrebellion.substack.com/subscribe
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