In this episode, Riva sits down with Anna Cordin, a professional ballroom dancer, electric violinist, author, and relationship seminar leader, for an honest conversation about intimacy, pleasure, and what it really takes to feel safe in love. Anna shares her path from a childhood in Siberia to a life across several cities and two divorces, and how she moved from a cerebral, controlling approach to relationships toward a more receptive, feminine way of being. She talks about her book, why it’s really about trust and emotional connection, and what changed in her body and her whole demeanor when she experienced her first orgasm at 49. As we move through Scorpio season, this is a conversation about depth, honesty, and letting yourself be met.

In this episode...

💃 Anna’s story, from dancing and playing violin as a child in Siberia to building a life in the United States, and returning to the violin after a 37-year break
💃 The shift from control to receptivity, and why love now matters more to her than freedom
💃 Why her book is about trust and emotional connection rather than sexual mechanics, and how she communicates openly with her husband about pleasure
💃 Why butterflies may be a fight-or-flight response, and what calm, observant presence can tell you on a first date
💃 Embracing singlehood as a season of preparation and self-discovery

And more!

Connect with Anna Cordin

🌐 Gala Ballroom (Anna’s website)
📸 Anna on Instagram: @galaballroom_

Resources Mentioned

💃 How to Create Passion: A 3-Hour Relationship Experience with Anna Cordin (Saturday, November 21, 2 to 5 PM, Casa Mannabliss, Delray Beach, FL)
📖 Power of the D*ck: A Love Story by Anna Cordin

Send us Fan Mail

Our intro and outro song, Reclamation (Reborn), is an anthem of remembering.

This song was created as a companion for the healing journey, especially for women reclaiming their voices, their rhythms, and their belonging in a world shaped by patriarchy.

You’re invited to listen, feel, and let the music meet you wherever you are.

Looking for support? Here's how to go deeper:

• Book a Somatic Assessment: Your 75-min 1:1 virtual session to explore what your body is holding and shape a personalized care plan. Book Here
• 1:1 and Group Support: Virtual and in-person offerings. Learn More
• Meditations on Insight Timer: Guided practices for nervous system regulation. Listen Here
• Watch Reclamation: A music video and expressive arts project. Watch Here

Follow on Instagram: @healingherstorypodcast

Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Email riva@windsofchangesac.com or DM @healingherstorypodcast on Instagram.

If the premenstrual phase feels like the hardest part of your cycle - the part where everything feels heavier, the inner critic gets louder, and slowing down feels almost impossible - this episode is for you. In this week’s Cycle Sync episode, recorded during the waning moon in Scorpio season, Riva gets honest about the shadow side of the premenstrual and luteal phases: what’s actually driving it, why it’s not your fault, and what the nervous system actually needs to move through it with more ease.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

🌒 Why the resistance to slowing down during the premenstrual phase is not a personal failing

🌒 The connection between trauma history and the severity of PMS and PMDD symptoms (and why this is not just in your head)

🌒 Why the inner critic gets so loud during this phase, and the surprising way that self-criticism physiologically increases cortisol and anxiety

🌒 What resourcing is and why it’s one of the most essential nervous system tools for the premenstrual phase, especially for the female nervous system

🌒 Why reflecting on what’s going well before you reach this phase can interrupt the anxiety loop on a biological level

And more.

Resources to Support You This Week 🌹🤲🏼

🌀 Monthly Attunement Call — A Nervous System Practice — Riva’s new monthly offering where you can experience somatic work firsthand; a real taste of resourcing and nervous system support for the premenstrual phase and beyond
NEXT CALLL: Thursday, November 12th @ 5:30 PM PST (VIRTUAL) $35

Send us Fan Mail

Our intro and outro song, Reclamation (Reborn), is an anthem of remembering.

This song was created as a companion for the healing journey, especially for women reclaiming their voices, their rhythms, and their belonging in a world shaped by patriarchy.

You’re invited to listen, feel, and let the music meet you wherever you are.

Looking for support? Here's how to go deeper:

• Book a Somatic Assessment: Your 75-min 1:1 virtual session to explore what your body is holding and shape a personalized care plan. Book Here
• 1:1 and Group Support: Virtual and in-person offerings. Learn More
• Meditations on Insight Timer: Guided practices for nervous system regulation. Listen Here
• Watch Reclamation: A music video and expressive arts project. Watch Here

Follow on Instagram: @healingherstorypodcast

Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Email riva@windsofchangesac.com or DM @healingherstorypodcast on Instagram.

Have you ever left a therapy session feeling unseen or unheard? For trauma survivors, that dynamic can end up repeating the very pattern that caused the harm in the first place. In this episode, Riva shares a personal story about an experience with a psychologist, then breaks down the person-centered therapeutic approach why it works for trauma survivors specifically, and why so much of modern therapy misses this piece entirely.

In This Episode

❤️‍🩹 Riva’s personal experience with a psychologist that shaped how she thinks about therapy

❤️‍🩹 What the person-centered approach actually is, and the belief at its foundation

❤️‍🩹Why trauma survivors specifically need their choice and agency handed back to them

❤️‍🩹How Western culture’s “just tell me what to do” conditioning can work against real healing

and more!

Resources
🌹 Go Deeper on Substack

Want more on this topic? Head over to Substack for a deeper, more personal dive into this teaching, including journal prompts and a guided meditation to help you work with it, not just think about it.

Send us Fan Mail

Our intro and outro song, Reclamation (Reborn), is an anthem of remembering.

This song was created as a companion for the healing journey, especially for women reclaiming their voices, their rhythms, and their belonging in a world shaped by patriarchy.

You’re invited to listen, feel, and let the music meet you wherever you are.

Looking for support? Here's how to go deeper:

• Book a Somatic Assessment: Your 75-min 1:1 virtual session to explore what your body is holding and shape a personalized care plan. Book Here
• 1:1 and Group Support: Virtual and in-person offerings. Learn More
• Meditations on Insight Timer: Guided practices for nervous system regulation. Listen Here
• Watch Reclamation: A music video and expressive arts project. Watch Here

Follow on Instagram: @healingherstorypodcast

Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Email riva@windsofchangesac.com or DM @healingherstorypodcast on Instagram.