Épisodes

  • Nobody Ever Says "I Shouldn't Have Listened to My Gut"

    Nobody Ever Says "I Shouldn't Have Listened to My Gut"
    Apr 15 2026
    Hey, beautiful people. Let's talk about intuition — that knowing in your gut that you can't quite explain but you absolutely cannot ignore. In this episode, I'm sharing the full story of how I spent months smelling smoke before my office actually caught fire, predicted the flood that came after, and what all of that taught me about trusting the voice inside that doesn't speak in words. We're getting into why meditation is the single best thing you can do to sharpen your intuition, how to tell the difference between ego noise and real guidance, and why "listen to the listener" is the most important thing anyone's ever said to me at a silent retreat. Plus we do a beautiful guided meditation together — heart center breathing up through the third eye — to help you connect with that wise, divine, knowing part of yourself. Because you already know everything you need to know. You just have to get quiet enough to hear it. 🧘‍♀️ 💡 3 Key Takeaways
    • Intuition isn't reserved for psychics or special people — it's in all of us. Meditation is what turns up the volume. The more you sit, the more available your wise self becomes.
    • If the voice you're hearing is mean, identity-based, or ego-driven ("you're a bad person"), that's not intuition — that's your ego throwing a fit. Real intuition tends to arrive quietly, from nowhere, and it doesn't attack you.
    • Nobody ever says "I shouldn't have listened to my gut." That alone tells you everything you need to know about how valuable this is.
    🔥 Episode Highlights
    • The full fire premonition story — six months of smelling smoke, middle-of-the-night office checks, a husband who thought I was losing it, and the call from State Farm that proved I wasn't
    • My six-year-old telling the police her mommy knew the office would burn down (great for the insurance claim, thanks kid)
    • Predicting the flood days later — and pulling out every piece of paper and fabric just in time
    • Why the Waze vs. your gut dilemma is the most relatable intuition test there is
    • A psychiatrist who couldn't wrap his head around acupressure — and how far we've come since then with mind-body-soul connection
    • The monk at a silent retreat who said "listen to the listener" and completely rewired my brain
    • A guided heart center to third eye breathing meditation
    📣 Mentions & References
    • 🧠 "Listen to the Listener" — the teaching from a silent retreat that changed everything about how I understand intuition
    • 🧘 Heart Center to Third Eye Meditation — a breathing visualization connecting your heart space to your place of knowing
    • 💆 Somatic Work — body-based healing and why you can't throw a stick at the internet without hitting that word right now
    • 🏥 Chinese Medicine / Acupressure — thousands of years of wisdom we chose to ignore, and we're finally catching up
    • 👦 My son's take on therapy — "You think everything affects your mental" — yeah buddy, because it does
    ✅ Try This Week
    • Next time you get a gut feeling — even a small one, like which way to turn — follow it. Then write it down. Start tracking when your intuition shows up and what it's telling you.
    • Sit for 10 minutes a day this week. Just breathe. The more still you get, the louder that inner voice becomes.
    • Ask yourself: is this thought ego or intuition? If it's attacking your identity, it's ego. If it arrived from nowhere and feels calm but certain, pay attention.
    🏡 Hang With Me
    • 🧘 Retreats — ilovetherapy.com, click on Retreats. Meditation, yoga, and people who get it.
    • 💌 thestresstherapist.com — therapy, retreats, and all the things
    • 📲 @thestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on Twitter
    🎙️ Produced and edited by Owen Flake.
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    30 min
  • Raise Your Vibe, Raise Your Abundance

    Raise Your Vibe, Raise Your Abundance
    Apr 1 2026
    I've been broke. Sharing-a-can-of-tuna-with-my-cat broke. So I'm not coming at this from some high horse — I've been in it. But here's what I've learned since then: most of the time, we're not actually broke. We just feel broke. And that feeling? It's running the whole show. In this episode I'm talking about how your energy and your frequency around money shape what comes to you, what a craps table in Vegas taught me about choosing the right vibe, and a stat about income that might genuinely change the way you carry yourself today. We're also doing a guided meditation together calling on Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance — because sometimes you just need to sit still and remember what you already have. 💸 💡 3 Key Takeaways
    • If you make $34K a year, you're in the top 20% of wealth globally. At $70K, top 10%. You're not broke — you're just comparing yourself to the wrong people.
    • How you spend your money carries energy. Handing over your card with resentment sends one signal. Handing it over with gratitude for everyone that transaction touches sends a very different one.
    • Gratitude isn't just a journaling trend — it's the frequency of "thank you, I already have it." Wayne Dyer picked up pennies with that energy. There's a reason it works.
    🎲 Episode Highlights
    • The tuna-and-cat days and what it actually feels like to be stuck in a broke mindset
    • Why I always win at craps in Vegas (and why my friends hand me a twenty every time I go)
    • The elevator story — and why strangers have been telling me their secrets for as long as I can remember
    • Losing a reading bet to my daughter and ending up in Nantucket because of Elin Hilderbrand
    • A guided meditation through four memories — luck, wealth, happiness, and peace
    📣 Mentions & References
    • 🙏 Om Maha Lakshmi — the mantra in today's closing meditation, calling on the goddess of abundance
    • 📚 Joe Dispenza — Supernatural, You Are the Placebo (skip the first book, it's dense)
    • 📚 Byron Katie (thework.com) — questioning the thoughts that keep you feeling stuck
    • 🙏 Wayne Dyer — found abundance in aluminum cans and gratitude in pennies. A masterclass in frequency.
    • 📖 Elin Hilderbrand — Nantucket novels and the reason I lost a bet to my kid
    • 🐱 Loopy (RIP) — 22 years, 12 moves, one shared can of tuna. The best.
    ✅ Try This Week
    • Carry a $100 bill and just notice how it shifts your thinking when you see something you want
    • Write down 5 things you're grateful for — morning or night. When you're reaching for stuff like your favorite chapstick, that's when it's really working.
    • Next time you pay for something, take a second to appreciate everyone that transaction supports
    🏡 Hang With Me
    • 🧘 Retreats — ilovetherapy.com, click on Retreats. Beach, mountains, meditation, good people.
    • 📺 TV — newreality.com or Cox Cable's Your View TV
    • 💌 thestresstherapist.com
    • 📲 @thestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on Twitter
    🎙️ Produced and edited by Owen Flake.
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    33 min
  • How Your Ego Hijacks Your Meditation (And How to Take Back Control)

    How Your Ego Hijacks Your Meditation (And How to Take Back Control)
    Mar 18 2026
    Okay, y'all. Your ego has been lying to you — and it's really good at it. In this episode, I'm breaking down the three sneaky ways your ego pulls you right out of your meditation practice every single time: time, body, and environment. We're talking fake sore throats, alarming thoughts about whether you left the front door open, and the "brilliant idea" trap that your ego absolutely loves to use on you. I'll also walk you through a gorgeous flower meditation using the mantra Aham Brahmasmi — because it's time to remind that divine, holy self of yours who's actually in charge. Spoiler: it's not your ego. You are the boss. Let's go. 🌸 💡 3 Key Learning Points
    • Your ego knows your weaknesses — time, body discomfort, and your to-do list — and it will use all of them to pull you off your cushion. Knowing that is half the battle.
    • That sore throat, achy knee, or urgent thought to check the front door? It might be 100% your ego. Real but not real — but still real. You'll get it when you hear it.
    • The mantra "This is all I'm supposed to be doing" isn't just motivation — it's ego defense. Use it.
    📣 Mentions & Shout-Outs
    • 🧠 Mantra of the episode: Aham Brahmasmi — "I am Brahman. I am the divine. I am connected to cosmic consciousness."
    • 🌸 Flower Meditation — A visualization practice for gently setting your ego's interruptions aside, petal by petal.
    • 💪 The Cheri Flake Willpower Challenge — 40 days of "I will" and "I won't" — a real-life lesson in what your body will fake to get you to quit.
    • 🍬 Hall's Cherry Cough Drop Gate — Possibly the most relatable addiction confession ever recorded.
    • 🧘 David G (davidg.com) — Cheri's beloved meditation teacher and the keeper of the Aham Brahmasmi mantra.
    • 🏡 Retreats with Cheri — Outdoor saunas, hot tubs, sound healing, group hypnotherapy, yin yoga, all-inclusive, zero dishes. Yes please.
    • 💌 thestresstherapist.com — Info on therapy, retreats, and joining the stress-free crew.
    • 📲 Follow Cheri: @thestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on Twitter
    Produced and edited by Owen Flake.
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    33 min
  • Proof That There's Nothing Wrong With You (Even If You Think There Is)

    Proof That There's Nothing Wrong With You (Even If You Think There Is)
    Feb 11 2026
    Okay, y’all. Buckle up for a full-body reminder: there is nothing wrong with you. In this episode, I’m throwing down the truth about judgment (yours and everyone else’s), ego meltdowns, pink hair stereotypes, and what happens when you finally shut up long enough to hear what’s going on in your own head. We get real about red pepper anxiety, the silent retreat that changed me, and the quote that’s been living rent-free in my brain: “No one will ever love you the way you want to be loved… because that’s your job.” Spoiler: there’s also a blue breath meditation to clear out your throat chakra so you can speak your truth without all the noise. It’s part pep talk, part truth bomb, and all heart. Let’s go. 💡 3 Key Learning Points
    • You’re the only one watching your red pepper game. Everyone else is busy with their own garlic.
    • If you think others are judging you, check your own mirror. We tend to see in others what we’re doing ourselves.
    • Let the ego talk—but don’t let it drive. You’re more than your opinions, your comparisons, and your raking style.
    📣 Mentions & Shout-Outs
    • 🎬 Wayne’s World – Cheri’s forever favorite (and a reminder that taste doesn’t have to be cool to be true).
    • 🧠 Quote of the day: “No one will ever love you the way you want to be loved… because that’s your job.”
    • 🧘‍♀️ Silent Retreat Stories – Featuring: raking epiphanies, bug goggles, and red pepper enlightenment.
    • 🎙️ Awaken Your Inner Awesomeness by Melissa Oatman – Fellow pink hair goddess and podcaster.
    • 💇‍♀️ Pink Hair as Botox – Cheri’s hairdresser said it best.
    • 🎤 Nancy Wilson from Heart – More pink hair legends.
    • 🎞️ The Incredible Shrinking Woman starring Lily Tomlin – Yes, we went there.
    • ✨ Chakra Talk – Meditation focused on the throat chakra using the “Hum” mantra.
    • 💌 ilovetherapy.com – Info on therapy, retreats, and joining the stress-free crew.
    • 📲 Follow Cheri: @hestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on Twitter
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    30 min
  • Be Still & Know: Why You Need a Retreat

    Be Still & Know: Why You Need a Retreat
    Jan 21 2026
    ✨ Episode Summary In this raw and hilarious episode, Cheri Flake (a.k.a. The Stress Therapist) lays it all out about meditation retreats—why they matter, what actually happens, and why silent retreats are the real game-changer. From ego flare-ups to full-on hornet attacks, Cheri shares stories from the cushion with her signature honesty and wit. She also breaks down why most retreats miss the mark after you leave—and how hers are built to help you make meditation a lifelong habit. There’s even a short guided yes/no body wisdom meditation to help you decide if a retreat is calling your name. 🧘 Three Key Learning Points
    • Silent retreats aren’t quiet escapes—they’re wake-up calls. They show you your mind, your habits, and how to finally befriend yourself.
    • Cheri’s retreats focus on what happens after. You’ll learn how to actually keep meditating once you’re home—no guilt, no stress, no BS.
    • Even imperfect retreats are transformational. Whether it’s a hurricane or a hornet sting, every moment is the practice.
    💬 Mentions & Shout-Outs
    • 🧘‍♀️ Southern Dharma Retreat Center – Cheri’s favorite silent retreat spot in NC
    • 🔊 Sonic Yogi – Providing sound healing at upcoming retreats
    • 📿 Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, David Chernikoff – Legendary retreat teachers
    • 🧱 The Brick – A digital detox device Cheri swears by
    • 📖 Yogaville – The unexpectedly serious retreat center where it all began
    • 🌀 That Time a Hurricane Hit the Retreat – Chaos + enlightenment
    • 💕 “Boyfriend Monk” Moment – A hilarious silent retreat crush story
    • 💌 Come Retreat With Me – Details at ilovetherapy.com
    🎧 Produced & Edited by: Owen Flake
    🎙️ Hosted by: Cheri Flake, The Stress Therapist
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    31 min
  • New Year, Real You

    New Year, Real You
    Jan 7 2026
    Episode Summary: In this heartfelt classic, Cheri Flake (aka the Stress Therapist) returns with timeless wisdom to help you rethink New Year’s resolutions—for good. With her signature mix of humor, honesty, and soul, Cheri shares why the January 1st “fresh start” fantasy sets us up to fail—and what to do instead. You'll learn her favorite fill-in-the-blank method for long-term goal setting, how to actually feel good about your goals (so your brain wants to do them), and why the whole year—not just one day—is magical. Bonus? A deeply soothing guided meditation featuring the mantra “Om” to help you embody your desires from the inside out. 💫 🧠 3 Key Learning Points:
    • January 1st isn’t magical—you are. Sustainable change happens gradually, not in a flash. Stop waiting for a perfect day and start imperfectly now.
    • Feel good = real change. If you feel bad about your goal, your brain thinks you don’t want it. Learn how to trick it into wanting transformation.
    • Chunk it down. Use monthly check-ins and micro-goals to build big dreams into your real life without overwhelm or burnout.
    📣 Mentions & Shout-Outs:
    • 🧘 Upcoming Workshop: From Resolution to Routine – Jan 17, 2026 at Vista Yoga in Atlanta.
    • 🌴 Beach Retreat: March on beautiful Jekyll Island – sign up at ilovetherapy.com.
    • 🧵 Natural Life: Cheri’s favorite cozy brand – naturallife.com. "You can always change your mind" tee makes a cameo.
    • 🎵 Sonic Yogi: Provides the dreamy music during the meditation segment.
    • ✉️ Email List: Jump on it at ilovetherapy.com so you “don’t stress or miss one thing.”
    🎙️ Produced and edited by Owen Flake.
    💖 Hosted with heart by Cheri Flake, your Stress Therapist.
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    33 min
  • Holiday Stress Isn’t Mandatory

    Holiday Stress Isn’t Mandatory
    Dec 24 2025
    The holidays don’t magically create more time — but they do give us an opportunity to choose how we spend our energy. In this episode, Cheri Flake shares practical, compassionate ways to reduce holiday stress by setting boundaries, saying no without guilt, and intentionally choosing joy. Drawing from her 25+ years as a psychotherapist, Cheri explores why over-scheduling leads to burnout, how mindfulness can transform even the most dreaded holiday tasks, and why presence — not perfection — is the real gift of the season. This episode also includes a guided loving-kindness meditation to help you reconnect with peace, abundance, and love during a busy time of year. ✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:
    • How to decide what to say yes and no to during the holidays
    • Why complaining increases stress — and what to do instead
    • Simple mindfulness practices for shopping, gifting, and family gatherings
    • Creative, thoughtful gift-giving ideas (even if it’s not your love language)
    • How being present can reduce anxiety, irritability, and overwhelm
    • A short, heart-centered meditation to reset your nervous system
    🧘‍♀️ Mentioned in this episode:
    • Weekly Meditate & Restore Yoga with Cheri at Vista Yoga (Atlanta)
    • Upcoming Beach Retreat at Jekyll Island
    • September meditation & yoga retreat (perfect gift idea!)
    📬 Stay Connected:
    • Email Cheri to receive the Holiday Gift Guide & join the mailing list:
      cheri@thestresstherapist.com
    • Website: thestresstherapist.com
    • Instagram: @thestresstherapist
    • Twitter/X: @stresstherapy
    🎧 Credits Host: Cheri Flake
    Produced & Edited by: Owen Flake
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    35 min
  • Thanksgiving: Find the Good, Feed the Gratitude

    Thanksgiving: Find the Good, Feed the Gratitude
    Nov 19 2025

    ✨ Episode Summary:
    In this heartwarming holiday episode, Cheri pops out of her retreat-mode to drop a cozy, candid Thanksgiving chat straight from her pink treehouse. Inspired by a silent meditation retreat and a real-talk moment with a client, she gets real about why gratitude sometimes feels forced—and how to gently shift into a more loving, ease-filled practice. With stories of chapstick, cranky teens, and making lunches with love, Cheri invites us to stop overthinking gratitude and start living it. This episode ends with a beautiful, breath-centered guided meditation on love and thankfulness.

    🔑 Key Learning Points:
    Gratitude doesn't need a journal. You don’t have to write it down to feel it—just find the good in everyday moments and let the thankfulness naturally flow.
    Resentment vs. Reverence. The way we frame our daily “chores” can turn obligation into a sacred act of service—and that shift changes everything.
    Love makes life taste better. Whether you're cooking, cleaning, or just breathing, doing it with love transforms your entire experience (and maybe even the flavor).

    💌 Mentions & Shout-Outs:

    🧘 Self-Realization Fellowship – Cheri’s recent silent meditation retreat that inspired this soulful drop-in.
    📚 Gratitude Journals – The pros, cons, and Cheri’s “just live it” alternative.
    💖 "It's Easy and I Like It" Tattoos – Cheri’s go-to mantra and mini gift from her talks.
    📺 NewRealityTV.com + URView TV – Where you can find Cheri’s video meditations.
    📬 Cheri’s Gift Guide & Retreat Newsletter – Sign up at TheStressTherapist.com
    to get it!
    📧 Email her anytime: cheri@thestresstherapist.com
    💕 Follow Cheri:
    Instagram: @thestresstherapist
    Twitter/X: @stresstherapy

    🎧 Produced by Owen Flake – Mixing the vibes and polishing the magic, thank you for making it all sound so good!
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    32 min