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Join host Gwendolyn Mitchell on the Love Letters to Our Bodies podcast as she sits down with Dr. Crystal Terry, an anesthesiologist and acupuncturist with over 34 years of experience serving the East Bay. They explore Dr. Terry’s integrative approach to pain management, bridging Western and Eastern medicine. The conversation contrasts Western medicine’s linear approach to pain with Chinese medicine’s philosophical framework and benefits of integrating Chinese medicine, particularly for cancer patients. Tune in to hear Dr. Terry’s message of hope for women navigating pain management and learn how integrative care can make a meaningful difference.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Terry’s journey from conventional anesthesiology training at UCLA to acupuncture training at the Helms Medical Institute.

• Dr. Terry unpacks the mysterious phenomenon of anesthesia.

• How anesthesia and acupuncture view and understand pain differently.

• Dr. Terry discusses how NSAIDs work to help the healing process.

• How Western and Eastern medicine each see different aspects of health.

• How practicing both modalities changed the way Dr. Terry thinks about the connection between the body, mind, and pain.

• Where acupuncture has made the most meaningful difference in her experience.

• Her advice for advocating for integrative pain management approaches.

• She reflects on how the East Bay’s approach to pain management and integrative medicine has evolved over the past 34 years.

• Dr. Terry expands on the different barriers to integrative care.

• Her framework for clinical decision-making: acupuncture vs pharmaceutical intervention for pain management.

• What she wishes physicians would understand about the role acupuncture can play in comprehensive pain management.

• Her thoughts on the body’s capacity for healing: sleep is the new gold.

• Dr. Terry shares her message of hope for women who feel they’ve tried everything for their pain.

Quotes:

“The most important moment that I have with a patient is before they go to sleep.” — Dr. Crystal D. Terry [0:16:17]

“One of the most peculiar aspects of pain is that it cannot be seen. I can only understand that you're having pain if you report it to me. If you demonstrate this is your experience, but I cannot look on your body and see that pain is happening because it's all through neurotransmitters.” — Dr. Crystal D. Terry [0:19:18]

“I think that the combination of the two modalities is an opportunity to really improve the experience of the patient — the person is having a life during treatment, not just after treatment.” — Dr. Crystal D. Terry [0:27:48]

“Sleep is the new gold — All good things happen with deep sleep. All of the body's healing powers come forward in sleep and do the repairs that are possible and bring things into alignment.” — Dr. Crystal D. Terry [0:46:57]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Crystal D. Terry, M.D., L.Ac.

Charlotte Maxwell Clinic

Helms Institute

UCLA

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

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Food is freedom, and when we choose to be mindful of what we eat, we give ourselves the power to heal and to nourish our bodies, minds, and souls. Joining Gwendolyn today on the Love Letters 2 Our Bodies podcast is Suzette Chaumette. Suzette is a social entrepreneur dedicated to tackling major health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain cancers, by addressing food and eating habits. Trained as a public health researcher with a master’s degree in maternal and child health, Suzette uses her expertise to show people how to choose whole foods and reduce inflammation through natural ingredients like onions, garlic, and leafy greens. Join their conversation as they tackle how to move beyond negative ideas about growing food, the influence of convenience marketing on our grocery shopping habits, the importance of getting closer to our food, and what that means.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Moving past the negative ideas about growing our own food.

• Food as medicine and what drew Suzette to the healing properties of food.

• Suzette explains how we can still forage for food.

• The importance of getting closer to our food and how this connection supports healing.

• Suzette's thoughts on nutritional considerations for someone undergoing cancer treatment: vitamin A and beta carotene.

• We look at how your body starts talking to you about the food you consume.

• Foods that can help manage side effects, including fatigue and inflammation.

• Suzette breaks down the top three most accessible, nourishing foods or meals to prioritize.

• How our ancestral ways of eating can help us today.

Quotes:

“I was feeling the urgency of getting people to grow more of their food, just given where we are today in our society. I really wanted to encourage people to go back to the old ways, to what their grandmothers and great-grandmothers did as a solution to some of our food issues, right now.” — Suzette Chaumette [0:05:43]

“Understanding that gardens aren't just about food, they're also about your wellness, your stress level. If you spend time out in a garden, your stress level goes down. And there's data to show that.” — Suzette Chaumette [0:13:13]

“The less inflammation in your body, the better — you can eat certain foods that will help decrease the inflammation and help your healing journey.” — Suzette Chaumette [0:41:31]

“I believe that we all have to tap back into our ancestry to eat the types of foods that are going to benefit our bodies the most.” — Suzette Chaumette [0:59:30]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Suzette Chaumette, M.P.H. on LinkedIn

Suzette Chaumette, M.P.H

Suzette Chaumette, M.P.H, on TikTok

Food Indy

The Food Indy Podcast (Spotify)

The Positively Green Podcast (Spotify)

Unpack the Real Stuff (Spotify)

Black Girl Vitamins

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

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Host Gwen Mitchell announces the launch of season three of the 'Love Letters to Our Bodies' podcast, set to begin on January 1st, with new episodes releasing every other Thursday. The upcoming season will feature diverse and insightful topics, including the healing properties of food with Suzette Chaumette, pain management with Dr. Crystal Terry, and emotional freedom technique (tapping) with Jennifer Groebe, LCSW. Additionally, a special segment on Histotripsy, a groundbreaking medical treatment for liver cancer, will be featured. Listeners are encouraged to tune in, follow, and share their feedback on what topics and guests they would like to hear in future episodes.

00:00 Introduction and Season Launch Announcement

00:17 Exciting Guests and Topics for Season Three

01:08 Special Segment on Histotripsy

01:44 Call to Action and Conclusion

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

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Reclaiming one's sexuality after treatment is a deeply personal and often challenging journey that requires courage and open conversation. On today’s episode of Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, we delve into this topic with Ebonie Michelle, Founder and CEO of Prowl the LAB. Join our host, Gwendolyn Mitchell, and Ebonie as they go deeper into her personal journey with her body through several challenging experiences, including her double mastectomy. They discuss the inspiration behind Prowl the LAB, what the name means, and Ebonie’s insights on reclaiming your sexuality after trauma or illness. Tune in now to hear this powerful conversation.

Key Points From This Episode:

• We are introduced to today’s guest, Ebonie Michelle.

• Ebonie shares her own personal journey with her body, before founding Prowl the LAB.

• How different health challenges and experiences shaped her as a young woman

• We discuss how the early prescription of birth control pills may have impacted her journey.

• Ebonie shares the inspiration behind finding Prowl the LAB.

• How she describes her relationship to her body, at present.

• She explains why Prowl the LAB focuses on five different areas of sexuality.

• We delve into the experience of having a double mastectomy.

• We further explore the five circles of sexuality.

• Ebonie gets into what it means to reclaim your sexuality after trauma or illness.

• She shares more about a special upcoming event.

Quotes:

“When we think about sexuality, a lot of the misinformation is that sexuality is only encapsulated or illustrated through our sexual preferences, and that is not the case. Sexuality incorporates sexual wellness.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:21:17]

“The main focus of Prowl the LAB is to support women and couples as they cultivate, or as they maintain, healthy sexuality throughout their cancer care, chronic illness, trauma-related or experiential relationship in terms of different abilities.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:22:55]

“We are not our diagnosis. We are not the circumstances of our adverse health status. We are women. We are human, and unfortunately, many of us have to navigate experiences that cause us to have face-to-face meetings with our mortality, sometimes before we are ready.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:30:31]

“I find that sexualization, in many cases, has such a direct and detrimental impact on the evolution of someone’s sexuality. Specifically with reference to history of trauma, of different ability, of challenges with sexual wellness, within the grander scheme of healthy sexuality.” — Ebonie Michelle [0:36:57]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ebonie Michelle on LinkedIn

Ebonie Michelle on Instagram

Prowl the LAB

Prowl the LAB Podcast

Liz O’Roirdan

Gwendolyn Mitchell on Linkedin

Moyo Institute on Instagram

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

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What does it mean to feel beautiful after cancer? In this episode, we sit down with visionary cosmetologist and community leader Dr. Leia’ Love to explore her remarkable journey from salon owner to paramedical tattoo artist specializing in 3D areola tattooing for breast cancer survivors. Dr. Love has more than two decades of experience in the beauty industry and a heart for healing. Known as the “Head-2-Toe Beauty Pro,” Dr. Love combines art, empathy, and trauma-informed care to help women reclaim their confidence after a mastectomy. In our conversation, she opens up about her path into restorative tattooing, her work with the American Cancer Society, and her deep belief that true beauty lies in resilience. We explore the emotional and physical realities of post-cancer healing, the power of choice in the recovery process, and the importance of creating spaces where women can feel seen, safe, and whole again. Join us to gain valuable insights into the external and internal processes of healing, her approach of combining passion with purpose, and why beauty is much deeper than the skin.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Background about Dr. Love and how her career transformed into a dedication to healing.

• How the American Cancer Society sparked her passion for helping.

• What inspired her to pursue 3D areola paramedical tattooing

• Explore the process, timing, and aftercare for paramedical tattooing.

• Hear a powerful story about a client’s transformation.

• The Leia Love Spark Beauty Fund making healing accessible to patients.

• Unpack Dr. Love’s definition of beauty beyond the surface level.

• Discover how Dr. Love is expanding her work into prosthetic breast molds for women.

• Redefining beauty standards and the importance of giving yourself permission to heal.

Quotes:

“I think people look at beauty as the surface of what you see, but when you get into the soul of somebody, when [patients] have been stripped of everything, just to see [their] strength and courage [is] beauty to me.” — Dr. Leia’ Love [0:25:24]

“My passion for knowledge, [beauty, business, and empowering women] helps me serve my purpose of helping people through whatever challenge they are going through.” — Dr. Leia’ Love [0:29:41]

“It is hard to look in the mirror and not like who you are, and I want people to really love who they are.” — Dr. Leia’ Love [0:30:51]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Leia’ Love

Dr. Leia’ Love on LinkedIn

Dr. Leia’ Love on Instagram

Dr. Leia’ Love on Facebook

Dr. Leia’ Love on YouTube

Leia' Love Hair & Nail Salon

The Leia Love Spark Beauty Fund

American Cancer Society

Stewart's Caring Place: Cancer Wellness Center
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institut

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Send us a text

Wellness doesn’t need to be an extravagant vacation or trip to the spa. Instead, it can be as simple as taking a moment to breathe in the day and center yourself. This is especially true for people with cancer, and today on Love Letters to Our Body, we are joined by the director for Wellness Programs at Unite for HER, Melissa Christie, to discuss mind, body, and spirit wellness in cancer care.

In this conversation, you’ll hear all about what made Melissa interested in wellness, what wellness means to her, why money doesn’t need to restrict wellness opportunities, how she got involved in Unite for HER, and so much more! We delve into the incredible organization as our guest explains how their cancer care is unique, what their programs look like, and how they support underrepresented communities with cancer care.

We delve into some of the services they offer that help their members appreciate and be in union with themselves and love their changing bodies before discussing the power of self-compassion in the healing process and how Melissa helps cancer patients cultivate it. Our guest even reminds women navigating difficult health challenges to advocate for themselves and learn how to love themselves. Finally, Melissa tells us what her love letter to these women would say. Thank you for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A brief overview of today’s guest, Melissa Christie.

• What drew Melissa to wellness work in the cancer space.

• What wellness means to her and why we need to simplify it.

• How Melissa got involved in Unite for HER.

• What makes Unite for HER’s approach to cancer care unique.

• The services they offer and what membership looks like.

• How the organization supports women of color with cancer diagnoses.

• What the “HER” in Unite for HER stands for.

• How they help cancer patients find love for their bodies.

• Some methods of therapy that are different from talk therapy.

• The role self-compassion plays in healing and how to cultivate it.

• Why we love Reiki and why we want to expose women of color to it.

• Melissa reminds women navigating health challenges to self-advocate.

Quotes:

“I love to serve people, I love to help!” — Melissa Christie [0:03:05]

“We really do target – our communities of color and our underserved and underrepresented communities as well because we want them to have the power to have the healthcare that they need.” — Melissa Christie [0:23:22]

“We have a lot of things that we may say we’d like to change about ourselves, but we are remarkably made.” — Melissa Christie [0:31:13]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Melissa Christie on LinkedIn

Unite for HER

Unite for HER | Wellness Programs
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Send us a text

Rest as resistance? In a culture that profits from our exhaustion, reclaiming deep rest becomes a radical act of healing. Join us as we welcome Tracee Stanley, yoga practitioner of 28 years and author of Radiant Rest, for a transformative conversation about Yoga Nidra.

Discover how this powerful practice helps us access our authentic selves, heal generational trauma, and reconnect with our bodies through love. Tracee shares her journey to Yoga Nidra, how she adapts the practice for BIPOC communities, and why rest is a birthright we all need to reclaim.

You'll learn practical ways to get started with Yoga Nidra, overcome resistance to rest, and step into your most powerful self. Plus, Tracee discusses making ancient practices accessible, rejecting wellness industry concepts, and what her own practice has taught her about embodiment.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Tracee Stanley to the show to discuss Yoga Nidra.

• How Tracee found Yoga Nidra and how she discovered its power.

• She tells us about her book, Radiant Rest, and what inspired her to write it.

• How Tracee defines Yoga Nidra and how it differs from meditation or sleep.

• How the connection between Yoga Nidra and self-realization helps us access our true selves.

• The relationship between rest and healing generational trauma.

• Tracee's recommendations for a starting point to try Yoga Nidra.

• What happens in the nervous system during the Yoga Nidra practice.

• Challenging what wellness really means and rejecting the distracted mind.

• How she makes ancient practices accessible while honoring their origins.

• How her experience in South Africa awakened her spiritual journey.

Quotes:

“We want so desperately to define what exactly [Yoga Nidra] is, and it’s something that can’t be defined.” — Tracee Stanley [0:09:14]

“[Yoga Nidra] is a practice of deep relaxation that leads to a place of non-doing and resting in presence.” — Tracee Stanley [0:14:20]

“When we rest, we’re resting for everybody – whether we know it or not. Because our ancestors are there in our DNA, we’re resting for everybody who came before us and we’re also resting for everybody who’s going to come after us.” — Tracee Stanley [0:32:03]

“Yoga Nidra reminds you that you are whole, the overculture tells you nothing except, ‘You are not whole, you are not enough, you need more of this or more of that to be whole.’” — Tracee Stanley [0:45:16]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tracee Stanley

Tracee Stanley Linktree

Tracee Stanley on Instagram

Tracee Stanley Email Address

Radiant Rest

Luminous Self
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Send us a text

What if your body, despite illness or injury, could still be a powerful ally in your healing journey? In this episode of Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, we’re joined by Valencia Balkcom, a nationally certified athletic trainer and cancer exercise specialist, for a moving conversation on reclaiming health and confidence through movement. Diagnosed with breast cancer the day before her wedding, Valencia shares how she used her expertise and personal journey to guide others, especially cancer patients and survivors, toward physical, mental, and emotional resilience. She explores the concept of “prehab,” how to reframe body image after appearance-altering surgery, holistic strategies for overcoming cancer-related fatigue, and why mindset matters just as much as medicine. Tune in for real talk, practical tools, and a powerful reminder that your body is still worthy of love, movement, and joy!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Meet Valencia Balkcom and her healing mission.

• A breast cancer diagnosis the day before her wedding.

• How movement supported Valencia through her life and treatment.

• Reframing fitness: from athlete to cancer exercise specialist.

• Why “prehab” is just as important as rehab.

• Designing personalized movement plans for every stage of treatment and recovery.

• From rest to resilience: shifting the mindset about exercise during treatment.

• Tips for navigating post-treatment identity and body image.

• Helping clients reconnect with their changed bodies.

• Managing cancer-related fatigue through joyful movement.

• Movement as medicine for pain and neuropathy.

• Grounding tools and holistic healing practices.

• What loving your body might look like after it feels like it has betrayed you.

• How Valencia’s phoenix tattoo became a love letter to her body.

• One day, one step at a time: Valencia’s message for the newly diagnosed.

Quotes:

“Whether you have cancer or not, we have a lot of people [in this country] who are inactive. I hate to hear somebody say, 'I'm gonna die of something, so I might as well eat what I want,’ or ‘I don't need to exercise.’ I want to be able to change that narrative in people's minds.” — Valencia Balkcom [0:10:35]

“Based upon the diagnosis, what [exercises] can we do prior to treatment? Because in sports medicine, when you prehab, the stronger you are going in, the stronger you are coming out.” — Valencia Balkcom [0:11:52]

“When we hear the word diet. Everybody immediately thinks you're supposed to lose weight, [but] diet really means, what are you eating?” — Valencia Balkcom [0:32:20]

“No matter how you're moving, just move!” — Valencia Balkcom [0:39:55]

“You might feel like [your body] betrayed you when you get that diagnosis, but just take it one day at a time.” — Valencia Balkcom [0:51:01]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Valencia Balkcom on LinkedIn

Zumba with Valencia Balkcom

Earthing Harmony — $10 Discount Code: LOVE-2-MY-BODY

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute