Chai on Life

Today, I’m speaking with Rebbetzin Miriam Katz. Rebbetzin Katz is a mother of seven children, bli yin hara and lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Rabbi Doniel Katz who is a well known teacher on meditation and psychology through the lens of Kabbalah and Chassidus.She has a degree in elementary education, but explains she has learned the most about children by raising them. She has become a treasure trove of wisdom and has turned her teachings into a Substack newsletter called Mother 2 Mother where she shares insights from her two decades of motherhood. It’s both practical and spiritual, relatable yet inspiring and it has been such a pleasure to be a part of her community and learn from her writings.We are approaching Mother’s Day — at least in the States — and while it may be a holiday you gloss over, it’s also a good opportunity to simply reflect on all you do as a mother. As we speak about in our interview, there’s so much invisible work when you’re a mother, keeping things running on a day-to-day basis — and it’s important to make the invisible visible whether it’s with your spouse, with your kids or without anyone else involved — just to yourself.In our conversation we speak about:-How Rebbetzin Katz found and connected to Orthodox Judaism-The crazy story of how she met her husband-How to figure out what we really need when it comes to our unique mothering journeys-How we can place more value on our role as a mother, if it’s not something that comes easily to you-What a deep connection to Hashem can look like through mothering-How to feel better about the mental load motherhood comes with and ways to reframe it-Something you can do at home to cultivate more gratitude…and so much more!To reach out to Miriam, you can email her at Miriamkatz613@gmail.com.Please leave a rating and review, share the episode with a friend, family member or coworker who you think might enjoy it as well. If there is someone you want to see on The Chai on Life Podcast, email me at alex@chaionlifemag.com or send me a DM @chaionlifemag. Thanks again, see you next week!

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, I’m speaking with Yael Sunshine Komer, a parenting coach and sleep consultant.Yael (Sunshine) Komer, M.A. in Child Development, helps families navigate sleep and behavior challenges with evidence-based tools and real-world understanding. With years of private practice experience, she brings science down to earth with warmth, humor, and practicality.Since I’m in the little kid stage of life, I love speaking about parenting because it’s so applicable and truly such an avodah every single day. There are endless topics to discuss, mindset shifts to tackle and personal work we’re doing daily to become the parents and people we want to be.In the episode, we speak about:-All things baby sleep and sleep training -Plus, we answer a ton of questions related to kids slightly older:--How do I calm myself down when my child is having a tantrum? --How can I regulate myself emotionally when my child needs that emotional regulation also? --How do I help them learn the skills to do so? --How can I be there for them and take care of the other things I need to do in that moment whether that’s taking care of a baby, making dinner, or answering a call? --How do I get to the root cause of an issue with a child and uncover what help they may need? --How can I relate more to my kids when it’s hard to connect? --How can I create intrinsic motivation in my kids? --How can I positively connect and utilize the time when things are calm?There is sooo much jam-packed in there and our conversation is filled with examples from both of our lives so you can really visualize a scenario and get tangible takeaways that apply to your own life. Yael is open to taking on new clients for either parenting help or sleep coaching so you can reach out to her at Yaelsunshine89@gmail.com.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal, and today I am speaking with Sarah Chana Radcliffe, a psychologist from Toronto, Canada.If her names sounds familiar to you, that is because her expertise, depth and breadth is vast and she has been sharing her wisdom and advice for years now through books, articles and classes. She is the author of “Raise Your Kids without Raising Your Voice,” “The Fear Fix,” “Harmony at Home,” “No More Tics,” and more books on Jewish family life and emotional wellbeing.She is a weekly columnist for the Family First section of Mishpacha magazine and in conjunction with Jewish Workshops, has produced numerous webinar courses on parenting, marriage, anxiety and stress management. She is the head of the Sarah Chana Radcliffe Parenting Academy where she trains and certifies parenting coaches internationally. You can get more from her at Dailyparentingposts.com.In this episode, we are focusing on getting you not only more sleep, but better quality sleep so you can live on less of it if that’s the stage of life you’re in. In our conversation, we speak about:-The challenges of simply being a human being in the world-Remedies for healing and how the brain works when it comes to certain modalities-Why worrying is actually a choice and not something we have no control over-How to rewire our brains to accomplish anything personal you are working on-Why you may be having trouble sleeping and what’s going on below the surface that’s causing it-How different people truly need different amounts of sleep and the perspective we can gain from that-So many different remedies to help you sleep better — she really goes through a lot of ideas from the super simple and easy to the ones that require more time and focus (with a seemingly huge payoff)-How to get ourselves to actually go to sleep earlier and why we have such a hard time doing so…and so much more!Here, all of the sleep methods she mentioned in the episode:Bach Flower Remedies: White ChestnutSaje aromatherapy Sleep Well Restful Sleep Oil BlendSilva Method HolosyncBook: The Joy of Doing NothingSee you next week!

Today, I’m speaking with Ayelet Polonsky, a Kabbalistic Manifestation Expert. She is the Creator of The Manifestation Method and a skilled, passionate and trauma-informed facilitator in the world of manifestation and healing. She’s had quite a journey to get to this point in her life — after college she was led to the Amazon jungles of Peru, then India for six years and then finally to Israel where she spent eight years studying and teaching Jewish mysticism, known as Kabbalah. Ayelet now lives on the East Coast with her husband and two children.With the development of The Manifestation Method, Ayelet synthesizes Kabbalistic wisdom and modern psychology to help individuals heal their past traumas, and transform their dreams into reality. She is a trained expert in hypnosis, trauma healing, somatic experiencing and meditation. Ayelet's approach is a harmonious blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, EFT, and Somatic Experiencing, all combined with her signature hypno-visualization techniques. Manifestation is something I’ve been interested in for awhile and have been wanting to explore through a Jewish lens. I’ve learned a little bit about it in secular spaces and in this conversation with Ayelet, we really get to the root of what Jewish manifestation actually looks like. We speak about:-Ayelet’s journey to getting to where she is today doing this work-How Jewish manifestation differs from the secular interpretation and some myths about it she’s correcting-Why manifestation is a lifestyle — not just a singular practice and what that looks like-Her methodology and the specific goals she helps clients achieve-The power of our words and the way our conscious and subconscious brain works to create a new reality-What true faith and bitachon really feels like-How our trauma (whether it’s with a big t or small t) informs the inner work we do today and what that trauma can be used for-Creating the vessel for the things we want in our lives to actually happen-The power of rituals-Seeing miracles in our everyday lives and how to manifest more of them-The unbelievable power we can all take from the Chanukah lights and bring into our everyday lives-How she manifested her husband…and SO MUCH MORE.Ayelet just takes my questions and brings them to a whole new level with her responses. She both elevates them and takes them deeper in a way that will change how you see the world, your relationship with Hashem and how you deal with the struggles in your life.To get in touch with Ayelet, visit ayeletpolonsky.com. Follow her on Instagram at @ayeletpolonsky.

Hi everyone! Please G-d we will be back soon with new episodes! In the meantime, enjoy this Cheshvan replay rich with information on the month we are in and what we can do to bring Moshiach. G-d knows we need the chizuk! Enjoy!--Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. Today, we are talking all about Moshiach. It’s Cheshvan and on the surface, Cheshvan seems like a chill, catch-up kind of month. The chagim are over, we’re back to routine and Cheshvan gives us the time to do so. But is that all Cheshvan is for? Like pretty much all things in Judaism, how things appear on the surface are well, just the surface and there is a whole world of depth underneath.As I was researching more about Cheshvan I learned that it is soooo Moshiach centered. If you learn from the Sefer Yetzirah or the Book of Formation, which you can read about on ⁠inner.org⁠, you will learn that the letter of the month, sense of the month, tribe and so much more are all connected to Moshiach.To be honest, Moshiach is something I’ve struggled with over the years becoming religious and being religious. It’s something that I am taught to want, yet also something I don’t actually know that much about.So for awhile now, I’ve been determined to learn more and really understand more and I knew Faigy Blumstein was the perfect person to do so with.⁠Faigy Blumstein⁠ does not call herself a lecturer, but someone who loves to share. A passionate educator and school psychologist, she is dedicated to living a Hashem-centered life. As part of the Thank You Hashem women’s division, Faigy draws on chasidic teachings and the light of the Baal Shem Tov, to inspire others. Her heartfelt approach helps women deepen their connection to Hashem, integrating spirituality into everyday life in a meaningful and modern way.And let me tell you this conversation gets deep. We talk about how she got into Chassidus in the first place, how it can connect you in ways you never could have imagined, what Moshiach even means, how we can all work to bring Moshiach, why Cheshvan is the time reserved for Moshiach, how Israel connects to all of this and so so much more.We also learn about the connection between Cheshvan, Moshiach and Rochel Imeinu. Tonight, Monday night, the 11th of Cheshvan begins Rochel Imeinu’s yahrtzeit and our conversation brought such a new light to Rochel that I wasn’t aware of before. It is hashgacha pratis that the podcast is coming out right before so hopefully we can all use our connection to Rochel Imeinu to feel more strength and a new kind of vitality with our Yiddushkeit.Learn more:Cheshvan on ⁠Inner.org⁠⁠Thank You Hashem⁠Listen to Faigy's Cheshvan Playlist:⁠Spotify⁠⁠Apple

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today, I have Dr. Feigie Russ on the show.Dr. Feigie is a licensed psychologist specializing in anxiety and OCD. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she blends her psychological expertise with a deep love for Hashem, to help individuals navigate their inner struggles. This week, she is releasing a brand new book called Letting Go: Overcoming Anxiety Through Emunah and Bitachon.When I learned about this book I was intrigued, but when I got to look through an early copy, I was blown away. At the beginning, I was skeptical — how would this book be different than others out there on emunah, bitachon and anxiety? Dr. Feigie Russ totally turns the whole concept on its head by bringing ego into the mix. It’s a unique perspective that I hadn’t heard before, one that really clicked for me and is also super comprehensive — the book is more than 400 pages so she really tries to address every aspect around the topic. In this episode, I speak to Dr. Feigie about:-What prompted her to write this book-Her own relationship with love for Hashem and building her emunah and bitachon-How she dealt with a really painful experience and came out the other side stronger-A refreshing perspective on navigating anxiety and really overcoming it from a place of understanding-How to handle uncertainty-How ego gets in the way when it comes to personal growth AND the appropriate place for ego in living a healthy, balanced life that serves Hashem in the way you want to-How the most difficult relationships in our lives can both teach us the most about self-love and actually get us to that place-How to know when giving is coming from a real place or a people-pleasing place and further, how to overcome a people-pleasing nature -The conversation to have with yourself about knowing how you’re genuinely feeling about giving and doing more…and so much more!To get in touch with Dr. Feigie, you can email her at drfeigieruss@aol.com.

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today we have Rebbetzin Ruthi Lynn on the show. Ruthi is a Marriage and Family therapist. For more than 15 years, she has conducted seminars, lectures and online classes for parents.As a therapist, Ruthi specializes in parenting, teens and relational issues within the family. Her ultimate goal is to help parents have amazing relationships with their kids, to see themselves as leaders to their children and to build the next generation strong, moral and passionate. She is also the mother of 8 kids bli ayin hara so she has a little experience herself in the thick of it.Ruthi has worked closely with Rebbetzin Sima Spetner, the renowned chinuch expert from Eretz Yisrael, and has become a teacher of her work. She was basically like an apprentice and went around Israel with her for years, eventually even taking over some of her classes. Now, she’s continuing to bring that wisdom to others.She is running a 10-week seminar based on Rebbetzin Spetner’s teachings this summer and it starts tonight, Monday June 16, via Zoom to anyone around the world. To sign up, contact Rivky Weiss at 216-965-4107. If you happen to be listening to this once the class is started, you can still reach out and catch up on the recordings that you missed.In our conversation, Ruthi and I speak about -how she became so connected with Rebbetzin Spetner and what that relationship looked like at that time-How to get back in touch with your intuition when it comes to parenting and why it gets lost for so many of us-How to know when a kid’s behavior is important to respond to or you can let go a little bit more-How we can bring Hashem consistently back into our parenting-How Ruthi achieved such a beautiful relationship with her own kids with one of the main things she credits that to-How to get through hectic and changing summer schedules and any upcoming travel you may be taking-What a realistic life looks like when you have multiple children of various ages and genders under one roof…and so much more!This episode is informative, relatable and just so necessary when it comes to all we’re dealing with consistently as parents. I hope that Ruthi will help you take some of the pressure off and really allow you to have fun and enjoy the summer with your family. Enjoy!

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of The Chai on Life Podcast. I’m Alex Segal and today I am so excited to have Rebbetzin, Author and Speaker, Sara Yoheved Rigler, on the podcast. In this episode, we are talking all about her incredible book, Holy Woman, the woman who inspired it — Rebbetzin Chaya Sara Kramer, and some Shavuot lessons we can all take to enter the holiday in the best mindset we can.Rebbetzin Rigler has become someone I’ve really learned a lot from in my own Jewish journey. I am a member of her weekly marriage webinar run through Jewish Workshops, where she helps women around the world work on themselves and improve their marriages; and I’m also someone who has really benefitted from her books. Even though Holy Woman is technically a biography, it reads like a novel and you become riveted from early on. Plus, Rebbetzin Rigler writes it with takeaways along the way so you can think about your own struggles and choices in life and become more prepared to tackle them.In the episode, we speak about:-Chaya Sara Kramer’s life — the prophetic nature she was born with and how she nurtured that -The immense challenges she encountered along the way-How Rebbetzin Rigler met Rebbetzin Kramer and the relationship they developed following-What defines being in a good place versus a bad place in life — this was really life-changing-What we can learn from Rebbetzin Kramer about passing our own tests in life-How Rebbetzin Kramer lived every day with true simcha and what we can all learn from that-Creating more of a Oneness between us and Hashem-What it’s like to live with bitachon versus just living with emunah-What Judaism really says about guilt-The main lesson Rebbetzin Rigler applies to her life daily that she learned from Rebbetzin Kramer…and SO MUCH MORE.The reason we are doing this episode now is because it is the 20th yahtzeit of Rebbetzin Kramer and because she didn’t have any biological children — something you’ll learn more about — she was always concerned no one would light a candle for her. So the goal with this is that all those listening will learn more about her and light a candle for her on her upcoming yahrzeit — gimmel Sivan, which starts on the night of 29th of May and goes into the following day, May 30. The full name for prayer is Chaya Sara bas Mendel Yosef.More about Sara Yoheved Rigler:Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of seven books on Jewish spirituality: Holy Woman; Lights from Jerusalem; Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara (with Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller); G-d Winked: Tales and Lessons from My Spiritual Adventures; Heavenprints; and Emunah with Love and Chicken Soup: The Story of Rebbetzin Henny Machlis, the Brooklyn-born Girl who became a Jerusalem Legend. Her newest book, I’ve Been Here Before: When Souls of the Holocaust Return, is the product of 8 years of research into reincarnated souls from the Holocaust. She gives a weekly Marriage Webinar for Jewish women on a spiritual approach to marriage, with hundreds of members throughout the world. She lives in Jerusalem. Her website is: sararigler.com. Her YouTube channel is "From Within the Walls of Jerusalem", where she relates stories, presents gems of Jewish wisdom, and teaches practical life tools.