Play-Powered Living: What It Looks Like and How to Get There w/ Rabbi Jessica K. Marshall
Release Date: 04/15/2025
Be. Play. Love.
There are many ways we try to heal. Therapy, meditation, breathwork, movement, and mindset work - just to name a few. These paths are powerful, transformative, and often life-changing. But sometimes, despite all the tools and effort, there are places within us that remain untouched, places our intellect can’t quite reach. We’re exploring one such threshold, where healing stops being something we do and becomes something that happens to us at a cellular level. Where transformation drops from the head into the body through the quiet, mystical intelligence of mushrooms. Journeying...
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We all do it. When there’s silence, ambiguity, or the absence of clear feedback, we fill in the blanks with stories. But here’s the problem: our minds don’t reach for generous interpretations. They default to criticism, fear, and doubt. Whether it’s giving a talk, navigating a friendship, or reflecting on ourselves, we often assume the worst, even when reality is far more kind. Evolutionary survival instincts, societal conditioning, and inner critics keep us stuck in fear-based thinking. What if there was a powerful alternative (spoiler alert, there is!) - reconnecting to the...
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In our world, productivity and creativity occupy two different buckets. The former is functional, necessary, and purposeful. The latter is frivolous, chaotic, and irresponsible. It should be put on the back burner so that we can focus on “more important things.” As a result, creative expression ends up as an afterthought, something we can only do after the real work is done. The problem is: so many of us end up feeling disconnected from our creativity, cut off from a vital resource for resonance. What if instead of putting off creativity for later, we could integrate it into...
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Something most people underestimate about having a big vision is the process of bringing other people on board. Whether it’s an investment partner or a strategic collaborator, we’re required to communicate what we see, open ourselves up to their opinions, and invite them to join us on a journey to an uncharted territory. It’s a vulnerable place, so of course, old fears, old stories, and upper limits will come up. How do we get them to trust us and see what we see? How do we silence those old stories from past experiences? For most change-makers dealing with the...
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An aligned life filled with presence, playfulness, freedom and growth expresses itself in many ways. It shows up in our choices (and how we make them), our relationships, our words and how we live. In short, it’s highlighted in our ability to Be, Play, and Love. Most people miss the fact that the process of finding one's own alignment is an inner game. It has little to do with what’s happening outside of us, and rarely stems from finding the right routine, ritual, or life hack. It’s continuously dropping into our heart space, feeling into what’s right, releasing fear, and expanding our...
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In the name of politeness, we often sugarcoat or dilute the truth, twisting it into something softer that we think the other person would rather hear. Instead of saying what we truly mean, we go out of our way to smooth over situations in hopes they’ll land better. Here’s the issue: when we start holding back our real feelings, we disconnect from ourselves and others. We step out of alignment with our inner wisdom. Though society teaches us that maintaining peace is more important than being honest, human beings are meant to express themselves. While we may fear that speaking our...
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One of the biggest barriers to us getting the things we really, really want are the mixed messages we send to ourselves. We want it, then we’re not sure we do. We want it again and then we don’t think it will work out. We definitely want it, but then we can’t do it because it’s risky. When we want to go in a certain direction, we won’t reach our desired destination this way. Instead, we need to be fully committed and completely in alignment - not shaky or wishy washy. The missed messages take different forms - maybe it’s doing a push and pull, making excuses not to take...
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If there’s anything our culture likes to collectively ignore, resist and hide, it's aging. And yet, aging happens to every single one of us - whether it’s aging parents, aging partners or aging selves, we all have an experience with it. With age comes the opportunity for nourishment and deeper learning, but aging also comes with some unpleasant emotions and experiences. Cognitive and physical decline and even loss are all parts of the process of getting older. How do we learn to treat these things as a learning adventure? How do we deal with loved ones becoming shadows of their...
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In improv and in life, “yes, and..” are two words that allow us to receive what’s coming at us, integrate it and add to it in our own way. “Yes, and” has its own flipside which completely kills all play, wonder and joy, and it’s known as “yeah, but”. When people say “yeah but” when something happens, it makes them protect, contract and move away, instead of coming forward and connecting. Here’s the thing: life will always unfold in a spontaneous way and we can’t control what comes up. Adopting a “yes, and..” attitude allows us to be in harmony with life’s twists...
info_outlineBe. Play. Love.
Anytime we head into the unknown and want to break past a limit, a question arises inside of us, “is it safe for me to be this big out in the world?” That’s because if we want something bigger, our ceiling has to rise to encompass that thing and that can be scary. Sometimes we’ll expand into that bigger thing but then shrink back into our familiar shells. If we don’t make our presence bigger than our fear, this process will keep repeating itself. What if, instead of expanding and contracting - we could expand and integrate at a new level? That’s where flow comes into play - it’s...
info_outlineAn aligned life filled with presence, playfulness, freedom and growth expresses itself in many ways. It shows up in our choices (and how we make them), our relationships, our words and how we live.
In short, it’s highlighted in our ability to Be, Play, and Love.
Most people miss the fact that the process of finding one's own alignment is an inner game. It has little to do with what’s happening outside of us, and rarely stems from finding the right routine, ritual, or life hack.
It’s continuously dropping into our heart space, feeling into what’s right, releasing fear, and expanding our capacity for good things. This sounds like a lot of serious work, but it doesn’t have to be! There’s nothing better than when we can weave together deep wisdom and playfulness. That’s where life gets delicious!
How do we find what flow and alignment mean to us? What gets in the way of it?
In this episode, we’re doing something different. Spiritual coach Rabbi Jessica K. Marshall joins us today to ask us some questions! We share what’s most meaningful and joyful to us and how we express it in our lives.
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
-Weave deep wisdom into play
Is there a way to grow in our purpose without losing our playfulness? How do we find that balance?
-Be willing for things to be easy
Our society is attached to the idea of struggling if something is right. The truth is, when we’re on the right path, there’s less friction. How do we identify when we’re out of alignment and pushing harder than life wants us to?
-From control to curiosity
In most relationships, the intention is to be right and in control. How do we let go of those old patterns and get to the part where we can explore, grow, connect, and play together?
Guest Bio
Rabbi Jessica K. Marshall’s soul is nourished by loving connection to others and the natural world. She serves by creating a sacred space to honor moments of joy, tenderness, and overflowing possibility. For the last 20 years, in environments as diverse as colleges, congregations, and secular settings, Rabbi Jessica K. Marshall has nurtured each person’s inner and communal connection so their path lights up with ease, abundance, and JOY! Fusing personal growth and inclusive spiritual paths beyond Judaism, she draws on nature-based ritual, energy practices, and a healthy dose of playfulness and humor. Jessica is a devoted galvanizer of sacred community, which she uses to reveal the depth of meaning that awaits us when we bring our full selves to communal experiences. She offers weddings, a virtual spiritual community, and one-on-one support to bless the love and spirit present in each chapter of life's journey. Find out more at rabbijessicamarshall.com.
About Your Hosts
Katie Hendricks, Ph.D., BC-DMT, is a pioneer in body intelligence and conscious loving with over 40 years of experience. Known internationally as a presenter and seminar leader, she focuses on authenticity, responsibility, and appreciation in conscious living. She co-authored 12 books, including best-sellers Conscious Loving and Conscious Loving Ever After and she has appeared on over 500 radio and TV programs.
Sophie Chiche is a seasoned coach and consultant who has worked with thousands of individuals and teams globally. With a focus on helping people live fully expressed lives, she guides clients and facilitates group sessions to remove obstacles and design meaningful lives. Sophie has developed unique methods, mindset shifts, and healing modalities to create lasting change.
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