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Ep 24: All We Have Stories matter. That’s the reason BelongCon exists. When we share our stories, we find solidarity and belonging. When we hear others’ stories, we can find new perspectives and deeper compassion. In this episode, Alice Reeves talks to film-maker Julia Alcamo about her latest project, All We Have. During the global Covid-19 pandemic, Julia has been collecting peoples’ lockdown stories, and sharing them in a multi-media online exhibition. Alice and Julia talk about how the project started and how it’s evolved, the common threads running through the global experiences of lockdown, and their own experiences of having to find a new way of being and managing their mental wellness over the last few months. This episode was recorded on Saturday 20th June 2020. Content note: mental health, eating disorders . . . Julia is a German-American documentary filmmaker with a passion for fascinating stories told in innovative ways, and is currently Director of the Covid-19 digital exhibition All We Have. Co-founder of Happenstance Films, she previously worked as Series Producer for History Channel UK ("Secret Wars Uncovered") and BBC World ("Deadly Disasters II"). Working with international film crews globally, she has shot films in Japan, India, Germany, and the UK. With a passion for all things art and dance, she loved leaving documentary behind for her Channel 4 Random Acts film "The Pool", which was nominated for a Royal Television Society Student Film Award and screened at Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (Bristol) and Playback Festival (ICA, London). Follow All We Have on social media: All We Have - Stories from the pandemic website: www.allwehavestories.com All We Have on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allwehavestories All We Have on Instagram: https://instagram.com/allwehavestories Find out more about Julia’s production company: Happenstance Films: www.happenstancefilms.com Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/happenstance.films _________ Music: Nelson Navarro & Brandon McBrayne Producer: Elijah Peart Like what you hear? Be sure to subscribe! _________ Find us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belongcon Twitter: https://twitter.com/belongcon Instagram: https://instagram.com/belongcon Check out our website, including our blog and upcoming events: belongcon.com

Have you thought about doing yoga, but felt like you wouldn’t belong in a class? Do you think yoga is (as Instagram might sometimes have us believe) just for super-flexible, skinny people in designer activewear? Spoiler alert: it’s not. Yoga is for everyone. Yoga is about healing, above all else. And it can give us so much in terms of connection to ourselves and to others. In this conversation, Alice speaks to Carolyn Jikiemi-Roberts (aka CJ), founder and owner of Hot Yoga South. As well as talking about CJ’s relationship with yoga and her path to becoming a teacher and studio owner, they also talk about diversity in yoga, how studios can become more inclusive and attract a diverse client base, and the impact of COVID-19 on the Hot Yoga South community. Alice and CJ also discuss the impact Black Lives Matter movement, the recent protests they attended in their hometown of Brighton UK, and the wider issues of systemic racism and unconscious bias in the UK. This episode was recorded on Monday 15th June 2020 Content note: discussion of racism, mention of miscarriage . . . Carolyn Jikiemi-Roberts (CJ) is the owner and director of Hot Yoga South. She qualified as a yoga teacher 18 years ago and worked as a hot yoga teacher for six years before opening her own studio. She now owns two studios in Balham and Brighton. CJ has a great ability to read the body and helps her clients to realign their bodies and heal themselves. Her motto is work hard, play hard and have fun - you only get one shot at this life. Watch CJ read ‘It’s Time To Blend Out’ on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LaooEl9rYfo Connect with CJ and Hot Yoga South online: http://hotyogasouth.com/ https://www.facebook.com/HotYogaSouth https://twitter.com/HotYogaSouth https://www.instagram.com/HotYogaSouth Call HYS Balham: 0203 457 8837 Call HYS Brighton: 01273 420 279 _________ Music: Nelson Navarro & Brandon McBrayne Producer: Elijah Pear Like what you hear? Be sure to subscribe! _________ Find us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belongcon Twitter: https://twitter.com/belongcon Instagram: https://instagram.com/belongcon Check out our website, including our blog and upcoming events: belongcon.com

Ep 22: Showing Off How do you feel about “showing off”? Have you ever been called a “show off” in a way that feels like it’s a dig? Do you wish you could let go of your inhibitions and overcome the fear of standing out? In this episode, host Alice Reeves talks to business coach Abigail Rebecca, who specialises in helping women fully embrace who they are. In fact, helping people show off is Abigail’s superpower! Alice and Abi talk about the relationship between self-expression and belonging, how striving to fit in can mean we lose touch with ourselves, and how so many young women (themselves included) start to develop inhibitions and fear “being too much” in their teenage years. They also talk about Abi’s upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness, her wild career as a holiday rep during her 20s and all it taught her, and how her life experience has shaped who she is today – a fearless show-off, who stands proudly in her power and inspires other women to do the same. Content note: mentions of strict religion, bullying, mental health issues, death, and suicide . . . Abigail Rebecca is an international speaker and the creator of Illuminated Leaders. She’s been coaching, training and developing women for over 20 years, empowering them to be bold, courageous and highly visible, get into their flow, create extraordinary success, and lead a radiant life. If you’re ready to make a bigger impact, she will help you step into your power to amplify your bigger vision, put yourself on centre stage and embrace your inner show off. Abigail has worked with thousands of female leaders who have gone from feeling burnt out and working too hard, to having a clear and simple plan of action for creating freedom, bliss, success and abundance. She lives near Brighton on the south coast of England with her Partner Kev, their 1973 VW Campervan called Flossy and their mini Dachshund Rudy. Connect with Abigail online: Abigail’s Website: https://www.abigailrebecca.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminated_leaders Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illuminatedleaders/ _________ Music: Nelson Navarro & Brandon McBrayne Producer: Elijah Peart Like what you hear? Be sure to subscribe! _________ Find us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belongcon Twitter: https://twitter.com/belongcon Instagram: https://instagram.com/belongcon Check out our website, including our blog and upcoming events: belongcon.com

Ep 21: Male Fertility Content warning: IVF, fertility treatment, pregnancy, conception, mental health Undergoing fertility treatment can be a difficult time for a couple. Understandably, the majority of support out there for heterosexual couples focuses on the women who are trying to conceive as they undergo changes to their bodies, navigate the impact of hormonal treatments, take responsibility for adjustments to diet, and sometimes - sadly - bear the emotion of failed attempts. But fertility expert Ian Stones spotted that, often, men were being left out of the fertility conversation entirely. What’s more, often they were left struggling in silence as they felt pressure to “stay strong” and support their partners. So, decided to create a space for open discussion and emotional support around male fertility. In this conversation, Alice and Ian discuss the most common emotional and physical struggles that come up when couples are having fertility issues, what led Ian to realise how little support was out there for men, and what impact he saw of that lack of support. They also talk about the webinar that Ian recently co-hosted with Fertility Network UK and their ambassador, racing car driver Toby Trice. After expecting a handful of people, almost 30 men joined the call and opened up about how the fertility treatment process was impacting them. Ian also shared some of the fears and misconceptions that can arise for men around fertility, and what more needs to be done to open up the conversation and provide adequate support for both members of a couple. . . . Ian Stones is a leading fertility and wellness expert based in Hove. He works to help couples cope with the physical and emotional challenges of trying to conceive and is particularly passionate about supporting men through their fertility journey. Through his unique system and programmes of treatment, he works with men and women to take the stress out of trying to conceive whilst providing positive lifestyle and dietary changes to help couples achieve optimal health and enhance their natural fertility. Connect with Ian online: Ian’s Website: www.hovefertilityandwellness.co.uk Male Fertility Support Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2668996783336716/ Acupuncture Hove on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acupuncturehove/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ian_stones_/ Fertility Network UK: https://fertilitynetworkuk.org/ Fertility Network UK’s next male fertility support group: https://fertilitynetworkuk.org/events/men-only-support-group-online/ _________ Music: Nelson Navarro & Brandon McBrayne Producer: Elijah Peart Like what you hear? Be sure to subscribe! _________ Find us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belongcon Twitter: https://twitter.com/belongcon Instagram: https://instagram.com/belongcon Check out our website, including our blog and upcoming events: belongcon.com