The Essence of You.

A podcast that explores who we are beyond our labels.

Who are you when you take away the job title, the roles, the labels, and just be?

Through intimate, unscripted conversations with host, Steph Lokelani, The Essence of You Podcast dives deep into the core of the human experience with people from all walks of life.

New episodes release every Friday, with guests whose stories are as unique as the outfits they choose to wear, because yes, this is both a video AND audio podcast.

Do you have a story to share? I'd love to hear it. Tell me a little bit about you and let's get you in an episode!

The Actor Behind the Mask: Chance Fuerstinger on Craft & Identity

Steph Lokelani

Published on: 07/24/2026

Actor, writer, filmmaker, and acting teacher Chance Fuerstinger joins Steph Lokelani for a conversation that moves from the craft of storytelling to the harder work of understanding yourself.

Chance FuerstingerThe Essence of You PodcastSteph LokelaniBoise actoracting teacherMeisner techniqueacting methodtheater podcastself discoveryactor interviewfilmmakerdocumentary filmmakerplaywrightnovel writing processkilling your darlingscreative career changeBoise theaterIdaho podcaststage actorscreenwritercomedy Boiseauthentic selfsetting boundariescold open podcastautismneurodivergent

The Wound, The Field & Girls on the Mat with Jamie Lange

Steph Lokelani

Published on: 06/26/2026

Jamie Lange has spent her career sitting in two different rooms - the therapy chair and the yoga mat - and on this episode of The Essence of You, she brings the wisdom from both into one of the most layered, tender, and funny conversations.

Unlock higher AI limits in Workspace Get higher access to create images with Nano Bananavideos with Veoautomated workflows with Workspace Studioand more The Essence of You Podcast Schedule The Essence of You Podcast Schedule 100% 10 O13 Jamie LangeSteph LokelaniThe Essence of You PodcastFront Street YogaHumble Warrior CounselingGirls on the MatBoise Idaho yogayoga teacher training Boisetrauma healingnervous system regulationKleshaRumi quoteswomens groupsgirlhood empowermentself esteem girlsmental health podcastbreathworkmirror workfamily traumadivorce healingtherapy podcastyoga philosophyIdaho podcastyoga for goodmindfulnessself awareness Summarize this data Jamie Langeself awareness Turn on screen reader support Jamie Lange — licensed therapistowner of Front Street Yogaand founder of the nonprofit Girls on the Mat — joins Steph for a conversation about the ideas we never chose but carry anyway. They start with the Rumi quote on Jamie's studio wall ("Out beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doingthere is a field. I will meet you there.") and use it to unpack why the people we find hardest to love are often just mirrors of ourselveswhy family wounds cut deeper than any other kindand what it costs to be the one everyone assumes "has it together." The second half goes deep on Girls on the Mat: how it grew out of Jamie's own girlhood woundswhy research now shows girls losing their self-esteem as young as nineand how nervous system literacy — not perfection — is the real work of healing. It closes on a Rumi line that says it best: "The wound is the place where the light enters you." Includes candid discussion of divorcechildhood traumaand family estrangement. Listener discretion advised. 🔗 Connect with Jamie Lange Front Street Yoga: [add link] Humble Warrior Counseling: [add link] Girls on the Mat: [add link] 🎧 Follow The Essence of You Instagram: [add handle] | YouTube: [add handle] 💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS - Most beliefs about who we are were given to usnot chosen — which means we can give them back. - People we find "difficult to love" often reflect something in ourselves we don't want to face. - Family wounds cut deeper because family carries an implicit promise of safety. - A Klesha is an idea we're stuck in. Meeting someone thereinstead of reactingstops the ripple. - Healing isn't about being finished — it's noticing when you're activated and regulating in the moment. - Girls on the Mat was born from Jamie's own girlhood wounds: "When we heal girlswe help women. When we heal womenwe save girls." - New research shows girls now lose self-esteem as early as age nine. - "The wound is the place where the light enters you" — our hardest experiences often become our purpose. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold Open: "We're All F***ed" 00:28 Welcome + How Steph Met Jamie 02:11 Yoga for Good: A Decade of Giving 05:43 Meet Jamie Lange 06:42 The Rumi Quote on Jamie's Wall 09:08 Steph: Taught to Be Racist as a Kid 11:37 People "Difficult to Love" 14:00 Steph & Her Sister 16:35 Why Family Wounds Hit Differently 20:00 DivorceFrodoand Broken Safety 24:00 Cosmo's Essay: "Luckiest Kid Alive" 27:00 Just Ideas: Body Image & Self-Talk 28:00 Why Steph Started Women's Groups 30:00 The Pool Is Closed 33:00 "Remember Who the F*** You Are" 36:43 Five Years of Facilitating Groups 40:33 Jamie the HumanNot Just the Therapist 46:03 Safety in Yoga Teacher Training 47:35 Choosing a Different Kind of Studio 50:37 Kleshas: Our Stuck Ideas 55:32 Mirrors in Marriage 58:20 The Birth of Girls on the Mat 59:45 "Heal GirlsHelp Women" 1:01:42 Real Results in Boise Schools 1:03:33 TraumaBranding & Mental Health 1:04:51 Facilitators & Studio Partners 1:09:00 Camps + Girl Scout Partnership 1:11:08 Self-Esteem Now Drops at Age 9 1:13:48 Should Facilitators Heal First? 1:16:45 Nervous System Literacy 1:19:00 Nothing to Shed 1:21:00 Breathwork in Real Time 1:23:42 Rumi: Where the Light Enters 1:25:00 Jamie's WoundsQuiet Violence 1:27:08 Walking Toward the Wound 1:29:13 Who Are You at Your Core? 1:31:36 Sign-Off Jamie Lange — licensed therapistQuiet Violence 1:27:08 Walking Toward the Wound 1:29:13 Who Are You at Your Core? 1:31:36 Sign-Off Banner hiddenTo enable screen reader supportpress Ctrl+Alt+Z To learn about keyboard shortcutspress Ctrl+slash

The Creative Human: Art, Soul Purpose, and AI Manipulation

Steph Lokelani

Published on: 05/15/2026

Steph Lokelani sits down with her friend, Tiffany Eller, for a warm, wide-ranging, and deep conversation that covers theater debuts, dream interpretation, personal mission statements, soul contracts, and AI.

Tiffany EllerSteph LokelaniThe Essence of You podcastBoise Idaho podcastcreative humanBoise Bard PlayersThe Luminary Theater Boisefirst time actorShakespeare Boisedream interpretationsoul healerpersonal mission statementbody alignmentphysical signs of stresssoul contractsenergy vampiresrelationship lessonsAI misinformationfake Facebook groupssocial media manipulationforeign interferenceholding spaceactive listeningcreative entrepreneurADHD creativitytheater Boise Idahoself-expressionauthenticitylucid dreamingastral projectionWar of the Worlds playMeToo movement theaterwomen in theaterboundariesfear of peoplepersonal developmentIdaho podcastTreasure Valley

Espresso in a Sea of Milk: Growing Up German, Finding Your People & Showing Up for Others

Steph Lokelani

Published on: 04/24/2026

What does it mean to look like you fit in everywhere but feel like you belong nowhere? Angela Reish knows that feeling well.

The Essence of You PodcastSteph LokelaniAngela ReishGerman immigrant familyidentity and belonginggrowing up between two culturespost-WWII Germanyintergenerational traumaAir Force veteransubstitute teacherspecial educationRISE programparaprofessionalsLGBTQ youthhigh school studentsbullying storyovercame bullyingIdaho podcastBoise podcastinternational identitymulticultural upbringingimmigrant parentsparenting across culturesself-discoveryauthenticitywho are you at your corepersonal growth podcaststorytelling podcastwomen's podcastreal conversationsbeing differentGerman culturebelly dancing communityempty nestermarriage and differencesshowing up for othersteaching challengesnonverbal students

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