Fresh off a transformative wellness retreat in Costa Rica, Lindsie shares a raw and deeply personal reflection on what healing looks like—and why it has nothing to do with escaping your life. In this solo episode of PCOS Unfiltered, she unpacks a powerful realization: even with all the knowledge, tools, and “doing,” she wasn’t fully present in her own life. The retreat didn’t heal her—it created the space for her body to finally exhale. This episode is a reminder for every woman who feels like she’s “doing everything right” but still not seeing results. Whether you’re navigating PCOS, weight loss, fertility, or simply burnout, Lindsie breaks down why the missing piece may not be another strategy—but a regulated, safe, and present body. The truth? You don’t need a plane ticket to heal… but you do need to create space for your body to feel safe.
1. You Don’t Need a Retreat to Heal
2. The Missing Piece: Presence
3. You Can’t Heal a Body That Doesn’t Feel Safe
4. Symptoms Are Messages
5. It’s Not About Doing More
🌱 1. Create 5 Minutes of Stillness
🍽️ 2. Eat Without Distractions
🌬️ 3. Practice Simple Breathwork
⏸️ 4. Pause Before Reacting
📵 5. Reduce Phone Use
✨ 6. Let “Good Enough” Be Enough
🚶♀️ 7. Stop All-or-Nothing Thinking
⚠️ Podcast Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine.
(0:00) This might look like sitting outside for five minutes without your phone. (0:07) Leave it inside. Sometimes, well, since I've been back, like, I don't know where my phone is.(0:15) You know, put it away somewhere. Go outside, five minutes. If you're not into the deep breathing, (0:22) you know, you're not sure where to start with that, that's fine.Just sit for like five minutes (0:26) without your phone. Take it all in. You know, notice the colors outside.Notice the sounds, (0:33) you know, how you're feeling in that moment. Welcome back to PCOS Unfiltered, where we go (0:41) beyond the diagnosis and start listening to the deeper messages behind our symptoms, (0:45) our struggles, and our healing. And today's episode is going to feel a little different (0:50) because it's just me, raw and unfiltered.I just came back from a retreat in Costa Rica, (0:56) and I knew I needed to share this space with you. So just a reminder, the content shared on PCOS (1:02) Unfiltered Nourish, Heal, Thrive is for informational and educational purposes only. (1:08) The views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not intended to serve as medical (1:13) advice.Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your (1:18) diet, exercise, or treatment plan. The information shared is based on personal experience and expert (1:23) interviews, and it's not a substitute for professional medical guidance. So for now, (1:28) enjoy the sounds of Costa Rica throughout this episode, settle in, take some deep breaths as I (1:33) share why you don't need a retreat to heal, but you do need this.Hello and welcome. This episode (1:47) is going to be a little different. So I just got back from a yoga retreat, wellness retreat (1:58) in Costa Rica.And my plan was initially actually to do the episode from there so that you could (2:07) actually hear the birds, you know, just a breeze coming through and just kind of (2:18) feel the quiet, I guess, along with the episode. But that was my plan. I did not (2:29) do it from there.And I'm kind of happy I didn't now, actually. Like I tried a couple different (2:34) places. It just did not feel aligned for me.But I still felt like I needed to do this episode.
(2:42) Because you don't need a retreat to heal. It just opened my eyes to so, so many things.It was, (2:51) it was, I mean, to say amazing is, I think, an understatement. And there's so many good (2:58) things that I want to share with you and how you, you can take this into just the smallest, (3:05) you know, parts of your life to begin to do something like this, you don't actually need (3:10) the retreat. So let's kind of dive in.If you are watching on video, then you might see I do have (3:18) the picture from our hotel room, or from our hotel, like from the pool area, and the view that we had. (3:27) But even that I feel like just does not do it justice. Of course, I have so, so many pictures, (3:32) saw so many animals, saw so many things, and just learned how to be present, how to just (3:41) be, I guess you want to say.So yeah, I don't think it was actually, you know, the retreat. (3:53) I think it's what the retreat creates. And we live such busy lives.It was, it was a wake-up (4:06) call for me, I think. The retreat itself allowed me to press pause, you know, on everything, but (4:14) I want you to know that you don't need a retreat to do that. I didn't realize how, (4:24) how I just, I wasn't present.I think anymore. You know, I talked about on episodes, (4:31) I talked about with guests. But I also wasn't being consistent in the fact that I was, (4:37) you know, I would still eat on the go, I would still like, put on my favorite TV show while I'm (4:41) cooking or, or eating, or getting ready.And now I am actually enjoying the quiet. Granted, (4:50) I've only been back for like three days. But it's, it's a whole just new way.I've actually, (4:58) I put my phone on do not disturb, you know, silence my notifications, phone on do not disturb. (5:03) And I'm continuing to do that because it's so easy to get caught up in the, you know, (5:09) seeing the, the nine plus notifications on my Facebook app, or, you know, my, my text messages, (5:17) and then it just pulls you in, and then you just go down this spiral. But I mean, there were even (5:24) times where I would turn something on in the morning, kind of first thing, and actually, (5:31) I didn't realize how much the silence is what I actually really needed.
(5:40) So yes, with the retreat, there was, going in, I did not know what to expect. I thought I knew (5:48) maybe kind of what to expect, but I was still very open to anything else that might come. (5:53) And so it's, yes, there was yoga.There was also a lot of meditation. So we did sunrise (6:01) meditation every morning. I learned a lot about breath work, even more, you know, I've learned (6:09) even from the guests on the, on the show, what I know myself, but I feel like that was just (6:15) skimming the surface.So I learned about breath work and energy healing. And again, just, you (6:23) know, just being present. So during the retreat, we were pampered, I will say.So there was no (6:34) decision making, there was no rushing, you know, between meetings between, you know, any type of (6:41) time schedule necessarily. Sure, we had some things on the schedule, but even then it wasn't (6:47) set in stone. And that would, you know, that would be kind of fluent.Even what to, besides (6:55) telling somebody my order for food, there wasn't the decision making of, you know, what do I need (7:01) to make for dinner tonight? And I have to go to the grocery store and think about my grocery list. (7:05) There was just no pressure to reduce. And feeling like, you know, I'm being pulled in (7:13) 10 different directions and overstimulated this whole time.So it finally allowed my body this (7:19) chance to just exhale. And I mean, I've talked about it before, this is what I see all the time (7:28) with the women that I work with. We don't listen to our bodies enough.We don't give ourselves (7:37) that chance to just fully be, to just, you know, just take that big exhale and know that it will (7:45) be okay and listen to our bodies. You know, I think that's where the silence comes in. It allows (7:51) us to really start listening to those messages and listening to what our body is trying to tell us.
(7:58) I've said it before, again, you can't heal a body that doesn't feel safe. (8:07) So it's been, I mean, it was just, it was an amazing experience. Sure, we did some excursions, (8:13) we did some fun stuff too, which honestly kind of stressed me out a little bit more than I expected.(8:23) But I learned so, so much from this retreat. So kind of bringing it back to, you know, PCOS (8:33) and what you can do. Remember, we're not trying to fix symptoms here.That's a lot of what I talk (8:40) about. Symptoms are messages. So, you know, the fatigue, the energy crashes, the skin issues, (8:48) the acne, you know, cravings, the weight gain, all of that stuff is your body trying (8:56) to tell you something.And a lot of times we just try to suppress those symptoms. (9:04) And we're doing it from a body that feels like it's constantly under pressure, right? Something (9:12) pops up, you're gaining more weight. You know, you're noticing that you're drained every (9:18) afternoon and you start thinking, okay, what do I need to do? What diet do I need to do? What (9:23) supplement do I need to take? This retreat removed all of that pressure.And yes, it was just (9:32) temporary. But like, I mean, I learned so, so much, so much that I wanted to take it, (9:43) you know, into real life. And like I said, I'm only like three days back.But also part of why (9:49) I wanted to do this fresh, because I've actually continued the meditation every day. And it's not (9:55) perfect. And it's not been the 45 minutes to an hour that we did at sunrise every morning.(10:03) But I've made the best of it. I actually recorded some of the sounds during the meditation of the (10:12) birds, which I'm going to weave into this episode as well. But it like just listening to the breeze (10:23) to, you know, the sounds of nature, wherever you might be, no matter what time of year it is, (10:34) because sure, at this time of year, a lot of us are coming depending on where you're listening, (10:38) but a lot of us are kind of coming out of winter, right? And you can still just be, (10:43) you know, maybe feel the cold, even if you're just outside for a couple minutes, (10:47) and actually just take a minute to take a deep breath, exhale, and just feel the cold against (10:52) your face.So this retreat just, yeah, removed all that pressure. And like I said, it might have (11:01) been, you know, for a short amount of time, but I am learning, I learned so much about myself, (11:09) so much about what I want. And I'm continuing this.And that was one of the goals that I set (11:17) while I was there. And I want to, you know, I want to continue to that I want to (11:22) continue to be present. So I can be present in my relationships, you know, with my family, (11:26) with my husband, all of that I can just be a better person, I can be a better coach for all of you.
(11:36) So no, you don't need a plane ticket to Costa Rica to heal. But again, just start creating (11:44) those little moments where your body, you know, just, just allow it to, to be. (11:54) I can get in a rut sometimes, because I put so much pressure on myself, like with working out, (12:00) for example, if I even take like a rest day, I usually try to make it kind of an active rest (12:06) day where I just try to go for a walk.And I think in my mind, I always think I need to do like (12:12) three miles or something. But then the day gets away from me. And I maybe have 10 minutes.(12:20) And I just like blow that off altogether. Because I think because I can't get in (12:25) the full amount that I want, then I'm like, why bother? And so, you know, take the time, (12:34) even if it is just five minutes, two minutes, because I think you'll start noticing some (12:41) differences. And you're going to want to make it longer and longer, you're going to find the (12:47) time you're going to reevaluate, you know, maybe how much time you're spending on social media, (12:52) because again, that was another big thing for me.I, it's part of my job, but I still didn't (12:58) realize how much I was draining my energy on things that that don't really matter, you know, (13:07) and they're not aligned with what I want for myself for my goals for my relationships, (13:14) you know, all of that stuff. So what I want to do is make this practical, you know, (13:22) again, you don't need the plane ticket to Costa Rica or anywhere else, you know, to go on this (13:27) retreat, and, and set this in motion. I want you to have some practical takeaways.And, (13:38) you know, just realistic grounded things that you can that you can do. So this might look like (13:47) sitting outside for five minutes, without your phone, leave it inside. Sometimes, (13:55) since I've been back, like, I don't know where my phone is.
(14:00) You know, put it away somewhere, go outside five minutes. If you're not into the deep breathing, (14:07) you're not sure where to start with that, that's fine. Just sit for like five minutes without your (14:12) phone.Take it all in, you know, notice the colors outside, notice the sounds, you know, (14:19) how you're feeling in that moment, you might actually have a little bit of a, you know, (14:25) of a cry, you might smile, you you know, you might have some type of release just by (14:30) taking those few minutes to do that. Another practical thing you can do is eat your meal (14:39) without multitasking. So again, this is something that was probably bigger for me than I realized.(14:45) Um, you know, now when I'm with my husband, like having dinner, if he's home, (14:50) we eat in front of the TV often. But as much as I can control it. Now, like my lunchtimes, (14:59) again, my phone is away.I'm just looking outside. I'm just in my thoughts. And (15:08) not to not trying to do work.And maybe I am thinking about work, but I don't have that extra (15:13) stimulation in front of me of a computer or phone or tablet or something like that. (15:17) Um, so yeah, that's, I think that's a huge one. And, and sure, like if you are, you know, (15:23) married to have kids, it may not be as easy all the time.So try to do that, you know, best you (15:29) can start with like one meal, especially if you're at work or something, you know, trying to just, (15:34) just be without looking at your phone, you know, scrolling on your phone or something.
(15:40) Um, another one is taking a breath before reacting. Um, so whenever I work with my clients, (15:50) we've talked about doing some deep breathing exercises, usually before meals.I've actually (15:55) talked about it on an episode before taking a minute, um, to do some deep breathing exercises. (16:02) And you can look these up. There's four, seven, eight breathing.There's like box breathing. (16:06) You can just take some nice, big, deep inhales through your nose and a big exhale through your (16:11) mouth. And I will say one thing I learned, make all the signs, sounds you want when you exhale, (16:17) um, you know, make a side, make a sound, flutter your lips.That was another big thing for me. (16:23) Um, because it's going to feel so good to get it out. So whether it's around meals, (16:29) you're also going to be more aware of what you're eating, um, or maybe reacting to a (16:35) situation.If somebody says something that doesn't sit well with you, (16:39) you might just want to take a deep breath before you react or before you respond. (16:45) Um, because it's probably going to be a better response than your initial reaction without that, (16:50) that pause. Um, so yeah, it could also be just some other random times throughout the day to (16:56) just take a few deep breaths.Again, it doesn't have to be a minute. It doesn't have to be five (17:00) minutes. It could be just two nice, big, deep breaths.And you're going to start noticing some (17:05) differences there. Another one for me is to let something be, um, good enough instead of perfect.
(17:14) This is going to reduce some stress in your life.Um, like I said, there were some times throughout (17:19) the, throughout the retreat that maybe, you know, my perfectionism set in, um, (17:25) I was a little more stressed and yeah, just, just let it, let it be good enough. (17:32) It does not have to be perfect. You can relinquish that control.Um, (17:41) it, it's something that I think just adds more stress to our lives. And you have to really ask (17:46) yourself, are you trying to be perfect, you know, for yourself, for someone else, (17:51) but either way, it doesn't matter. It doesn't, it doesn't matter.Um, (17:58) another takeaway would be to just stay off of the phone in the morning and in the evening, like (18:06) start with 20 to 30 minutes before bed. And after waking up, um, this again was another big one for (18:14) me. I didn't immediately reach for my phone in the morning.And I, I'm more of a productive person in (18:20) the morning anyways, but I think I was even more productive. I was able to really gather my thoughts, (18:26) you know, for the day. And then in the evening I've talked about it, I think at some point about how (18:33) that blue light can affect your, your sleep as well.Um, so yeah, find something, you know, (18:41) in your day to, to incorporate, to just be, to, to help regulate your nervous system, (18:48) decrease stress. There's so much out there around diets and exercise for PCOS or any other (18:56) conditions, you know, or if you're just trying to lose weight and you've not even been diagnosed (19:01) with something, um, you know, maybe even if you're on a fertility journey and you're being told to (19:10) eat this, not eat that, it can be so, so stressful and add so much more, um, to our lives. (19:18) And we really need to remove that noise.You know, just stop, just remove it. Um, (19:27) and really think what's my body need right now. And it needs to feel safe.And in order to do that, (19:33) you really have to have to go inward. You have to silence all the noise. And, um, (19:41) I think that was a big part of what this retreat, you know, taught me.Um, (19:48) and what I want you to know too, is that it's not about escaping your life. So sure with the (19:52) retreat, I kind of was able to escape for a little bit, but, but when you're doing these things, (19:57) it's not about escaping your life. It's about changing how your body experiences it.And it's (20:02) going to experience these symptoms better and experience, you know, the messages behind (20:10) these symptoms. You're going to learn to understand those. Um, (20:15) I didn't realize how much I needed this.Uh, I would say my life is not too chaotic. Um, (20:24) if you do watch consistently on, on video, you'll notice there's different backgrounds. And that is (20:30) because I do travel, um, with my husband sometimes for work.I travel, you know, I might be in a (20:37) hotel room one moment. I might be in different places, even in our home. So you might notice (20:42) the background changing, but I still wouldn't say that my life is chaotic by any means.Um, (20:49) but I think I've just gotten used to operating at a certain, um, you know, you just kind of (20:58) subconsciously get in this rhythm of do, do, do, um, whether it's work, kids, spouse, (21:09) whatever it might be. And then we tie in, you know, scrolling on our phones and as like a way to, (21:16) maybe you think that might be relieving stress, you know, going to the coffee pot every morning, (21:22) you're just in this like haste and routine and subconscious habit of doing things. (21:30) And I invite you to just take a minute to pause, (21:37) re-evaluate all of that.I met some amazing people on this trip. Um, just amazing. And (22:01) we formed such a bond during this time.Um, the host, which I can link her episode in the show (22:09) notes, but the host was Natanya Ruth and she's been a guest on my podcast before. And I, I don't, (22:22) I don't know, like this was totally outside of my comfort zone. Um, I didn't know anybody besides (22:28) her who I'd met a few times on zoom.Um, but I felt I needed to do this. (22:37) And again, I met some amazing people while I was there. Um, I mean, honestly, this was, (22:46) I feel like it was life-changing, you know? Um, and that's a, that's a big, big ask.That's a big (22:55) thing to say, but, but there were so many things that, that are changing still that did change me (23:03) while I was there helping me realize, you know, who I want to be, where I want to go with my (23:10) business, you know, with all of you listeners. Um, and so, yeah, it's amazing what, what can happen (23:23) when you just be. So if you're one of those that is feeling stuck, you're feeling like nothing is (23:31) working.Um, like you're doing everything right. And I feel like that's a common theme in my (23:38) podcast. So, so much, you feel like you're doing everything right.Your body is not responding. (23:46) So maybe it's not about doing more. It's not about, I do talk about adding, (23:52) you know, um, and sure we want to add nutrients and, but in this case, we want to add (23:58) maybe gentle movement, add some breathing, add some, um, you know, just some presence, (24:09) but it, it may not always be about that.It's just really about creating the space (24:16) for your body to truly feel safe. And when it feels safe, it can actually prioritize (24:23) what needs to happen to heal, to lose weight, to get pregnant, you know, whatever your struggle (24:31) might be. Um, so if you feel like you're one of those that's doing anything and everything, (24:37) and you've tried it all, but nothing is working, I invite you create this space, (24:43) take the time to just be present, be in the moment.Um, this is exactly what I do with my clients, (24:54) you know, in my program as well. I do focus a lot on nutrition, but I'm also starting to realize (25:01) how much more your body needs to experience life. And that needs to be the priority before we can (25:10) even talk about all the nutrition things.My goal is always for it to stick for it to become a (25:17) lifestyle like I've done with myself. But in order for that to happen, your body has to feel safe (25:26) and it has to be in that space to truly, really feel safe. So, um, I think that's all I have.Um, (25:39) I thank you for joining me for this episode. And of course, reach out, I'm here for you.
(25:48) You know, if you if you need anything, I, I would love to hear from you.And (25:55) um, yeah, take, take a minute. We could even, you know, take some deep breaths right now, (26:02) actually for a second. So just take a nice big inhale with me and through your nose (26:11) and blow it out your mouth.Nice big exhale. Again, make a, make a sound, make a sigh. (26:18) Let's do that one more time.You can hail through your nose, (26:24) a nice big exhale out through your mouth. See how that feels in your body. And I invite you (26:33) to carry that on through your day and through your week.And I'll see you on the next episode. (26:45) If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear from you. (26:49) So share it, tag me or send it to someone who needs this reminder today.(26:54) I'm sending you so much love and I'll see you on the next episode of PCOS unfiltered. (26:58) Nourish. Heal.Thrive.