Stand Unshaken Podcast: Recent Episodes
Denika Spadafora
Join Denika and Alicia as they chat about how you can create an intentional lifestyle that supports your wellness and faith goals! They'll cover a wide range of topics including faith, relationships, movement, and mindfulness. You can expect to laugh, cry, learn, and grow as Denika, Alicia and their guests share openly about creating a lifestyle that helps them become the best version of themselves. Get ready to listen because these girls have a lot to share!
Today's episode is an extended life update where the girls are catching up on their busy summers and chatting about what's next (hint - you might not hear from them for a little bit.) They discuss the value of knowing when it's time to give yourself space to take a breather and how they do that in their own life!
Is it wrong for Christians to do yoga? What is Christian yoga in the first place? How can I use yoga to connect with God? These are all questions that Denika and Alicia have been answering for years! Christian yoga is a controversial and highly misunderstood topic, so today the girls are sharing their perspective on what it looks like to do yoga through Stand Unshaken and how we interpret scripture about this practice.
The girls get a bit spicy with their opinions, but hope that you can hear that their heart is to explaint their position with kindness and humility!
Do you want to live life on mission but you’re not sure if you’re qualified or you don’t know where to start? In today’s episode, Alicia interviews Alyssa — her roommate, bestie, and professional missionary all about her time in Papua New Guinea and some common misconceptions about overseas missions. They’ll talk about how to live life on mission in the states, with helpful stories and tips on sharing the gospel wherever you are. And don’t worry, when life gives you chickens, you’ll now know how to handle it. 😉 Kargeko wella - iykyk!
How do you see the world? Are you naturally optimistic? Or do you tend to lean more toward negativity or pessimism? In today's episode, the girls are discussing how they view the world and what they've noticed about their reactions to certain situations. They'll discuss how you can cultivate more positivity (and in turn more joy and peace) through the way you approach things in your life.
Join Alicia and Denika as they chat about how they're planning to make the most of this summer, and share some suggestions of things you could do too! They'll cover ways to find joy in the little things while also planning some fun activities that you can plan (either solo or with others!) If you're ready to get in the summer mood then this episode is for you!
Are you craving a time to rest, reset and connect with yourself and God? Then this episode is for you! Today the girls are chatting about how to plan your very own solo retreat! As you may know, Denika just finished running a retreat in Mexico and Alicia is preparing for her own solo retreat. They're sharing their top tips for how to plan and execute a sucessful solo retreat without having to spend a bunch of money or take a big trip.
What makes you feel inspired? In today's episode Denika & Alicia are chatting about the importance of seeking out inspiration and things that help them stay inspired! They also discuss how to avoid things that will interfere with your inspiration, and share their thoughts on the fact that all of us have the ability and opportunity to inspire those around us. We hope this episode will leave you feeling inspired!
In today's episode Denika and Alicia are combining some of their favorite topics - simplicity, hygge, home decor and habit hacking to share with you their top tips for how to "level up your home" and make it into a safe and cozy place to be. Get a sneak peek at the tips below:
1) Upgrade the flow
2) Set the vibe
3) Invest in quality sheets/beddings/pillows
4) Let everything in your home have a home
5) Choose things that are beautiful & practical
6) Add interest on your walls & in your furniture
7) Get in a organization/decluttering/cleaning routine
8) If you see a problem, just fix it
Get the full details and tips in the episode!
Today the girls are answering questions that some of you submitted through their Instagram stories! They'll cover everything from what they were like as children, what their band name would be, and how they approach dating/marriage as Christians. This convo is full of goofy moments and helpful advice!
Today we are joined by a very special guest... Avery! Avery is Denika's husband and today he is here to share with us his food philosophies and top cooking tips. Avery was trained as a chef at high end wineries in North Georgia and has spent years learning all there is to know about food and cooking. In this conversation he'll cover what it means to have a deeper respect for food and the art of cooking!
Welcome to our longest episode yet (don't worry, it's a good one!) In this episode the girls are chatting about Alicia's graduation, Denika (finally) running her race and how to hold space for yourself! They discuss the different layers of holding space and share some of examples/suggestions around what works for them.
Today the girls are back together again and discussing what life as been like over the past few weeks as they are both navigating different transitions. Alicia, shares how she is feeling about graduating with her masters and Denika talks about some shifts she is going through in life and work. If you are experiencing a season of transition in any way, we hope this episode is an encouragement to you!
Today Denika is hosting solo as she interviews her good friend, and fellow Christian business owner, Lanissa Spoon! Lanissa is the founder of Becoming Ministries and her and Den will be chatting about their experience turning their passions into a business and how they have navigated the ups and downs of that. Even if you're not a business owner, there is still so much good info about following your dreams and staying close to the Lord throughout life!
Today Alicia is flying solo as the podcast host as she interviews her friend Amanda Reynolds about what it means to suffer well. Both Alicia and Amanda has dealt with chronic illnesses and they discuss what they have learned through their experiences and how it has helped them to know God is a different way. Get ready for a great conversation!
In this episode Denika and Alicia are sharing some of their silly toxic traits as well as chatting about how we should handle those not-so-silly toxic traits.... They also discuss the phrase "that's just how I am" and how they feel when people use this to explain their behaviors. This episode is a mix of silly and serious so get ready for a good one!
You already know that Alicia is the Queen of Cozy, but today Denika is stepping up to the throne as the Queen of Simplicity! She'll be sharing more about what got her interested in pursuing a simplier life, as well as some ways that you can start simplifying your own life. Plus you'll get to hear from Alicia and her perspective as someone who doesn't naturally lean toward a simplified life. It's a great chat, and we hope you'll get some good info out of the episode!
Simplicity Tips:
Choose one area to start with.
-
Material: two goals- have only what you need, keep what you have organized (get in the routine of having clean spaces, only shop when you need something (not just for fun), 1 in, 1 out rule), science of clutter
-
Clutter can increase cortisol, the “stress hormone.” A study by UCLA found a link between a high density of household objects and elevated cortisol. Messy spaces signal the need for future cleaning, and the mental weight of knowing it needs to be addressed increases stress
-
Health: what is your health priority now? Focus on that until it becomes routine (start with exercise, then nutrition, then sleep, then journaling, etc.)
-
Schedule: how can you minimize what you are committed to? Do you have white space in your schedule? What do you need to say no to? What do you need to say yes to?
-
Hobbies: Do you have hobbies that give you space to play? Be creative? Care for your body? Have fun? If not, how can you make space for this?
-
Relationships: Are you prioritizing your most important relationships? Are you putting pressure on yourself to maintain relationships that aren’t valuable anymore? How can you be more efficient with your relationships (talking on the phone once a month instead of texting all the time)
Today the girls are discussing the concept of "Sit Wobbly" aka the opposite of Stand Unshaken and how they stay sane through tough times. They also catch up on what's new in their lives, which includes some big things for Alicia...
Last week was Denika's birthday and so today the girl's are chatting about what her biggest lesson from the past year and what's she hoping to learn in the next one! They'll be discussing the idea of knowing, liking and trusting yourself and how when we allow yourself to be authentic, we give others permission to do the same!
In today's episode the girls will be getting deep as they discuss how to make healthy choices for your body when you've previously (or currently) struggled with things like disordered eating, insecurity, body image issues, health challenges, etc. They both share about their previous experiences with this and what helped them learn to make healthy choices without being too worried about their health or appearance. They tried to be mindful of the way they handled this delicate conversation, but please listen with discretion if some of these topics may be triggering for you.
In today's bonus episode Denika and Alicia are giving you the inside scoop on what to expect at a Stand Unshaken retreat! Denika has been running retreats for a few years now, and the SU retreats are always a highlight for her and Alicia. They'll be sharing about what inspired Denika to start running retreats, what you can expect when you attend and they address some of the main questions that they recieve about the retreats!
You can learn more about the retreats they are currently offering or sign-up to join at https://www.standunshaken.com/retreats
In today's episode, Denika will be breaking down her top 5 tips for creating a fun and effective Christian yoga practice! She talks about the value of understanding what your intention is with practicing yoga and how you can make the most of your time to better achieve your goals.
Denika's Tips:
-
Set your intention (for your practice as a whole and for each individual practice)
-
Be consistent
-
Understand how to sequence a practice (set your intention/pray, breath, spinal warm-up, build heat in your body, flow, peak pose, cool down, revist your intention/prayer)
-
View it as more than just a physical practice
-
Keep learning!
Check out our website: www.standunshaken.com
Follow us on Instagram:
-
Stand Unshaken: www.instagram.com/standunshakenco
-
Denika: www.instagram.com/heyitsdenika
-
Alicia: www.instagram.com/aliciakientz
In today's episode, Alicia will be breaking down her top 5 tips for creating a deeper bible study practice (don't worry, the girls will explain what they mean by that.) If you've been looking for ways to get more out of your time in the word, then this episode is the perfect one for you!
Alicia's Tips:
-
Be consistent
-
Incorporate your learning style
-
Big picture/story - Remember how what you’re reading fits into the big story
-
Lean into what you don’t know
-
Expect the Lord to speak
Check out our website: www.standunshaken.com
Follow us on Instagram:
-
Stand Unshaken: www.instagram.com/standunshakenco
-
Denika: www.instagram.com/heyitsdenika
-
Alicia: www.instagram.com/aliciakientz
The girls are getting a bit wild in this episode as they discuss celebrity crushes, Disney characters and eventually talk about morning routines. If you're in the mood to laugh and learn how to create a morning routine you love, then this is the episode for you!
Sunrise Alarm Clock
Breath As Prayer Book
Check out our website: www.standunshaken.com
Follow us on Instagram: - Stand Unshaken: www.instagram.com/standunshakenco - Denika: www.instagram.com/heyitsdenika - Alicia: www.instagram.com/aliciakientz
Join Alicia and Denika as they discuss why rest is something we should learn to celebrate and prioritize as an act of worship and faith! They also discuss how the offical podcast launch went and what they've been up to recently...
Today we are discussing one of Alicia's favorite things ever- hygge! You may have seen this word floating around social media, but what does it really mean and how can you incorporate this concept into your life? Plus, Alicia shares about the mental health benefits of hygge!
In today's epsiode the girls are joined by a very special guest - Avery Ross (aka Denika's husband!) Alicia will be asking Denika and Avery about how they met, what they've learned through their relationship as well as getting Denika to share the details about her most embarassing moment in front of Avery...
Today the girls are discussing different wellness beliefs that people have and are sharing what their thoughts are on these! Should you force yourself to read your bible? Are certain approaches to exercise better than others? Listen to see what they think!
In tooday's episode, Denika and Alicia will be sharing about their top 3 favorite things in different categories. They'll be discussing books, podcasts, purchases they've made and their favorite "belt it out in the car" songs.
Today the girls are discussing how to take a simplifed approach to goal setting that will make achieving your goals easier and more enjoyable! Listen in as they share 6 things to think about when setting new goals.
In our last episode you learned more about Alicia, so today we are introducing you to the other half of the SU podcast, Denika Spadafora! Denika lets us in on something she usually keeps secret and also shares about her favorite places to travel, her golden retriever, and what inspired her to start Stand Unshaken!
In today's episode you're going to learn all about our lovely host, Alicia Kientz! You'll get to hear about how Alicia would spend her perfect day, her favorite form of therapy (it's not what you think) and what the phrase "bridging the gap" means to her.
In today's episode, Denika and Alicia will be sharing more about what inspired them to start the podcast and what you can expect from it! They also share more about some of the key differences between the two of them. Who likes matcha more than coffee? Which one of them wants to have a bunch of babies while the other prefers puppies? Get ready to learn more about the podcast and your hosts!