This is the Spiritual Virgins podcast we are your hosts, Debra and Shirley. #cousins!
In this podcast we will be talking about all things metaphysical
- meditation, energy work, self growth, and especially the "woo-woo"!
Join us each week for a lively discussion as we venture through our own spiritual journey, together.
Masculine & Feminine Energy: Why These Labels Trigger Me (And What I Discovered About Myself)
Have you ever had a word or label instantly trigger you without fully understanding why? In this episode, Deborah has an unexpected emotional reaction to the terms "masculine" and "feminine" — and what unfolds is one of the most raw and revealing conversations yet.
In this episode:
Why the word "masculine" triggered Debra and what it revealed about her past
Growing up in a conservative church where women were expected to be "helpmmates"
Fighting for equality vs. wanting the freedom that came with being "one of the boys"
Masculine energy: leadership, action, direction, assertiveness and focus
Feminine energy: receptivity, intuition, nurturing, creativity and emotion
Defaulting to masculine energy as a trauma response and protective mechanism
The difference between choosing an energy vs. reacting from a place of fear
Debra's revelation: feeling emotionally non-binary while identifying as female
How raising a non-binary child cracked open an entirely new perspective
Why blending both energies without the labels feels most authentic
Polarity in relationships and whether opposites truly attract
Breaking generational patterns so they don't get passed down
When swinging the pendulum too far becomes its own wound
Why being triggered by a word is always an invitation to go deeper
The goal isn't balance — it's awareness and the freedom to choose
If you've ever felt like you don't quite fit neatly into a label, or if religious and cultural conditioning has shaped how you see yourself, this episode will hit home.
Connect with Debra: debraleighbryant.com | Instagram @debraleighbryant
Connect with Shirley: shirleyhollinger.com | Instagram @theshirleyhollinger
24 Apr 2026
Judgment: Self-Awareness, Compassion & Healing Old Programming
What happens when Spirit calls you out on being judgmental—especially when you thought you weren't? Debra shares her meditation revelation about judgment and how it's showing up everywhere once she became aware of it.
In this episode:
The difference between healthy discernment and harmful judgment
How judgment keeps us safe but can also hold us back
Self-judgment and the stories we tell ourselves (I'm not smart, I can't spell, I'm not good enough)
Deborah's NLP work to reprogram dyslexia beliefs and improve spelling
Finding the anchor moments where limiting beliefs first formed
Why judging others is really about our own insecurities and programming
Body image, weight, and toxic family messaging around appearance
Society's ever-changing beauty standards and learning self-acceptance
How judgment activates a threat response and increases cortisol
Using judgment as a mirror: what does this reveal about me?
The problem with trying to separate ourselves from what we judge
Re-parenting your inner child who learned to judge herself
Bringing compassion to judgment instead of stacking more judgment on top
Why processing emotions fully prevents them from getting stuck
Becoming more honest with yourself as true spiritual development
Whether you're working through self-criticism or noticing judgment toward others, this episode offers a compassionate framework for using awareness as a healing tool.
Connect with Debra: debraleighbryant.com | Instagram @deborahleebryant
Connect with Shirley: shirleyhollinger.com | Instagram @theshirleyhollinger
18 Apr 2026
Thoughts & Feelings: Nervous System Regulation, Emotional Processing & Creating New Set Points
Do your thoughts control your feelings, or do your feelings drive your actions? Debra and Shirley explore both the top-down and bottom-up approaches to understanding how we process emotions and make decisions.
In this episode:
Top-down vs. bottom-up theory: thoughts to feelings vs. nervous system first
How your nervous system constantly scans for threats and triggers reactions
Anniversary reactions: when your body remembers before your mind does
Why the same text message triggers different reactions in different people
The power of the subconscious mind and stored emotional patterns
Moving from emotionally reactive to regulated and zen
Pattern interrupts: breaking routines to shift your state
Why processing emotions in the moment prevents them from getting stuck
Creating space between stimulus and response — finding the pause
Byron Katie's "The Work" for examining thoughts from every angle
Re-parenting yourself and tracing feelings back to their source
Questioning old beliefs: is this really mine or inherited programming?
How meditation and hypnotherapy create new emotional set points
The difference between suppressing emotions and choosing your response
Why feelings, not logic, often drive behavior and decisions
Whether you're working on emotional regulation or curious about why you react the way you do, this episode offers practical insights into the mind-body connection.
Connect with Debra: debraleighbryant.com | Instagram @deborahleebryant
Connect with Shirley: shirleyhollinger.com | Instagram @theshirleyhollinger
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
16 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
31 ratings
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