Unfiltered: The Liberated Woman’s Guide to Transformation with Daisy Featherstone

What if embracing your sensuality could transform your entire life? Join us for a transformative episode of Find Your Inner Glow, featuring Daisy Featherstone, the visionary founder of The Liberated Woman. Daisy's journey is a heart-wrenching yet empowering narrative of overcoming eating disorders, battling societal norms, and ultimately finding self-love through the art of burlesque dancing. Her story is a raw and honest testament to the power of embodiment practices in reclaiming one’s confidence and body positivity.

During our conversation, we also dive deep into the often-taboo topics of sexuality and self-love. Daisy shares invaluable insights from her experiences and those of her clients, highlighting common struggles such as body acceptance and the impact of inadequate sex education. Through practical advice and engaging activities like pole dancing, burlesque, and twerking, Daisy shows us how reconnecting with our bodies can lead to holistic transformation and heightened creativity. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to embrace their sensuality and foster a deeper connection with themselves.

Looking ahead, Daisy tantalizes us with exciting plans for The Liberated Woman in 2024, including "twerk shops" across various cities and a ground-breaking retreat aimed at empowering women to transition from "Girl to Queen." With collaborations and new online offerings on the horizon, Daisy's mission to support women through body image and pleasure struggles is more vibrant than ever. Follow her inspiring journey on Instagram and her website to stay updated on her incredible work and upcoming events. Don’t miss this compelling episode filled with heartfelt stories, practical advice, and a glimpse into an empowering future.

Find Daisy Here:
https://www.instagram.com/the.liberatedwoman?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hello and welcome to Find your Inner Glow, the podcast that focuses on mind, body and soul, and I am your host, kirsty Harris. I am a spiritual transformation coach and an intuitive healer. I have been helping women for years and years and I am here just to give you the knowledge that you need to really tap into your essence and find your inner glow. So get comfortable and let's get into today's episode. Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the podcast. Today we are back with another unfiltered episode, and today we have Daisy Featherstone, who runs the Liberated Woman. So we are going to be tapping into our more sensual side today and I'm not gonna spoil it, I'm gonna let Daisy do the talking because she's the expert. So welcome, daisy. Thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today.

Speaker 2: 0:53

Hello, yeah, thank you so much for having me. It's such an honour, like it's. Yeah, I'm really excited to be here with you to talk about all the juicy things All juicy things, all the juicy things.

Speaker 1: 1:05

Yeah, so me and Daisy actually met through Twerk After Work when we were both Twerk instructors, and then we've kind of both gone off and done our own things now. But, daisy, I'm super, super curious to understand you a little bit more and your story, and how did you end up in the position that you are now and I just have so many questions yeah, it's a great question and I guess I guess where it starts is I.

Speaker 2: 1:34

I suffered from eating disorders for about seven years and that was kind of like the start of my journey with my body, with my sensuality, with my confidence. Um, yeah, and really, really struggled was in kind of cycles of like not not liking my body, cycles of kind of eating in particular ways, restricting my food, going to the gym a lot, um, and really also like relating with people in a way that wasn't loving to myself. I was really like outsourcing that love from men to kind of get that validation and love that I wasn't feeling myself. Um, yeah, and I, I realized that I had, you know, a problem. I wasn't kind of living in the way that I wanted to, and that was when I sought therapy.

Speaker 1: 2:29

Um, and I love therapy.

Speaker 2: 2:31

I think everyone's therapy right therapy's like, oh, all areas, it's just such an incredible support, isn't it? It's, it's super important, um, so yeah, so I went through the NHS a few times in kind of different, various forms like CBT, um, group support, and that was amazing. That was really amazing and it only got me so far and I think and this is what I've learned on on this journey um, it's coming at anything with different layers. So the therapy was really good for my mind. But there was a real missing piece in this relationship with my self love, with my body, with my confidence, and that missing piece was embodiment, right, and I think I realized it wasn't even conscious, it kind of just happened very naturally. But the missing piece for me.

Speaker 2: 3:31

I filled in with burlesque, so I found burlesque dancing, which was the most like beautiful thing I always remember. I first found burlesque when I went to Amsterdam and I saw this beautiful like burlesque dancer and she was just dancing in this such an elegant way, with so much confidence, and I was like, wow, you know all the feathers, all of the glitter. I was like that's incredible and I thought I'd love to be able to do that. And I never thought that I could. You know, I always thought that was something for somebody else. Um, and I started to do a burlesque course. This is, I was living in London at the time.

Speaker 1: 4:12

Love, and that that kind of unlocked one of the pieces in me, um, yeah, in terms of this embodiment yeah, sorry I was interrupting you because, like I just feel so emotional listening to your story, because I think like I can really relate to like outsourcing and like relying on external validation to fill me with the love I couldn't give myself, but also like the fact that you took control of your healing journey. You were like, okay, I've gone as far as I can. Now what you didn't just settle, you took control and went right. I know what the next step is for me. I don't know how I'm going to get there, and it's a really scary thing to do as well, especially stepping into a burlesque class. Like that must have been the most scary experience ever.

Speaker 2: 4:57

Yeah, yeah it was. And you know, I think that's the thing, and I noticed this certainly in people that come to my workshops and everything. There's a spark and I always felt this underneath, like underneath, there was this kind of confidence, this fire wanting to come out, but on top of that was all of these societal conditionings of, like our body should look like this or, you know, you shouldn't feel confident because that's, I don't know, arrogant, or all of these different things that prevented me from, like, living in my truth and living in harmony with who I am, um and my body and expression in the world totally, and that's how beauty standards make their money, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 5:44

they give us all these different, conflicting views about our bodies so that we never have the right body in air quotes. So then it makes it really hard to identify with people on social media and like wider media and stuff. And I remember growing up there was never anybody who represented me. And I'm in the big belly gang do you know what I mean? And I love my squishy belly now, but it took a long time to get there yeah, it's so true, and that's such a big thing, isn't it for people?

Speaker 2: 6:12

they, they really pick on all parts of our bodies to kind of disconnect us from our bodies and to make money, and I think that's the work that I love bringing. It's like actually getting to the root of this and seeing all of the conditioning that we're told and then coming home to what I like to call our original essence Right, which is kind of, you know, when we're born in the world, we don't have these things about our bodies. And as we grow up, you know like babies and children are just like going about their day, and it's only when we start to hear these things coming in from external that we start to doubt, like, oh, hold on, am I not okay, like this?

Speaker 1: 6:55

you know.

Speaker 2: 6:56

So it kind of really takes away from that original essence of just like innocence and and love and harmony and liberation and liberation love.

Speaker 1: 7:09

So you unlocked one of the pieces which are so beautiful with your burlesque journey, which you know. I've still not managed to come out and find you in a show yet, but I will if you are continuing them this year, because I know you have big plans this year, but I'm getting ahead of myself. What was the next step for you after your burlesque journey?

Speaker 2: 7:27

yeah. So the next step I think I was in my awareness, more of this kind of holistic side of things was coming in. I'd started to see a more holistic therapy. I'd got into yoga, um, and more mindfulness and I was in this point in my life where I was stuck. You know, I was stuck in that cycle and something needed to change and I had to make that change and I had to break that cycle.

Speaker 2: 7:57

And my friend she's a really good friend to me, she she said I'm going traveling, I'm going to Bali. She was like, do you want to come? And for me at the time that was such a big deal because I wouldn't have been able to do all the things that kept me safe at that time. You know my habits around food, my habits around exercise, and I went traveling and we went away for four weeks and it just blew my mind open to a whole different way of being, way of thinking, and it broke that cycle. You know, by being in a physical different place, by being with, like open and hearing different ideologies and way of life and Buddhism and meditation and yoga and tantra, like I was open to different ways of kind of these suppressive beliefs that I'd taken on.

Speaker 1: 8:51

Essentially like I always think, like when you go traveling, you just expand your mind and people are like, oh, you can't run away from your problems. And it's not about running away, it's about having time to have a different perspective and like, yeah, every time I go away, I come back a different person, mainly because I go on my own mind and I have to navigate the solo traveling vibe. But I just think it's so incredible and recently you went to Costa Rica as well. I imagine that was an amazing experience as well.

Speaker 2: 9:20

Yeah, it was. It was incredible, like you say, like every time you know you go away, I feel the same. It's kind of a different shift, there's new layers being unlocked and Costa Rica was actually part of my coaching certification. I studied with Layla Martin, who is the most incredible teacher she's amazing and yeah, it was part of my certification to do this retreat and amazing experience there. Um, so, yeah, so the traveling, you know it shifted me into this sort of different mindset and I started to go to women's circles and get involved in tantra. I did a lot of healing on myself and my body. Um, I had a lot of pain and disconnection and trauma around my belly because of the eating disorders, you know, because I literally disowned my body. I'd created that disconnection through things like qi nitsan, which is abdominal massage, um, through more of the embodiment, central practices like pleasure practices and breast massage and all of that.

Speaker 1: 10:31

and yeah, it really was the most incredible journey and, you know, always still on it, right, we're always still always learning things absolutely, and this is a bit off topic, but I am very curious about Tantra, but I do feel like it gets a bad name. So what, I'm going to put you on the spot and ask you what your experience of Tantra is.

Speaker 2: 10:53

If that's okay. Wow, I mean we'd have to do this another like whole podcast on.

Speaker 1: 10:59

Tantra.

Speaker 2: 11:00

I feel because and I was talking to some of my friends and we were like, what is the definition of Tantra? Because it's it's almost so vast it's hard to encapsulate it and there's lots of different types as well of Tantra. So Tantra is essentially a philosophy and it's a way of living where you're really like. I guess traditionally, like people would say okay, you need to go and be a monk or a nun and meditate every day and that's how you reach enlightenment and that's how you connect to your true self, right, whereas tantra is really bringing that into the everyday life the everyday that anyone can access, um.

Speaker 2: 11:45

So it's bringing in ritual, tantric practices, kind of meditations, yantras, mantras, all these things that we can incorporate into our daily life to reach that harmony and that peace um, yeah, because I always I always had like this negative connotation that it was like just a sexual practice, but it sounds like it's way more than that.

Speaker 2: 12:08

Yeah, absolutely, and there's different types of Tantra, like I say. So that would be more like Red Tantra, where it's there's Neo Tantra as well, and that was kind of started more by Osho where it's focusing on lots of different things, um, where it's focusing on lots of different things, but as incorporating a lot of what we hear more commonly, this kind of like sacred sexuality work, which is super beautiful yeah, that's.

Speaker 1: 12:33

It does sound amazing. Like I said, though, I think that is the only bit that I've heard about like tantra is the more sexual element, but it's so good to know that it's actually a lot wider and a lot deeper, so I'm definitely gonna do a bit of research on that. Yeah, so, with your work and what you're doing, what are you up to right now?

Speaker 2: 12:53

before I dive in and ask you a couple of other questions, yeah, so at the moment, I've just launched my new business, which is called the liberated woman, which I'm so excited about. Um, for the past, I've just launched my new business, which is called the Liberated Woman, which I'm so excited about. For the past year, I've been teaching twerk shops every fortnight and bringing those, which is super fun, and it's it's the Liberated Woman basically is my new business, where it's encapsulating the four pillars, and the four pillars are embodiment, sexuality, sovereignty and reparenting the inner child oh, they're so beautiful, yeah, and they're like package.

Speaker 2: 13:36

Yeah, and they're essentially what I found the four most important and foundational things to create this transformation and liberation, because we want this holistic transformation on all levels. So you know, the surface and the actual physical embodiment meaning like sexuality and embodiment and then underneath our inner world, the liberation of our sovereign, the inner child, and reparenting the inner child it's so beautiful and so multifaceted as well.

Speaker 1: 14:09

I absolutely love that, and I think, like people do shy away from sexuality, people go, oh no, it's like that, that dirty thing or that thing that we don't talk about because, you know, it's really still. I still feel like it's quite taboo, but I always find, like embracing my sensuality makes me feel like I'm at home in my body a lot more as well. Um, I think when you embrace your sensuality, you embrace creativity as well, don't you? Because you become so much more creative and in your divine feminine, so it's so much easier, um, for you to connect. And I know you're just launching your business, but you have worked with women for a long time. What are the common themes that you see in clients that really stand out to you? I know we've talked about the four pillars. Is there anything else that you go?

Speaker 2: 14:58

oh, okay, you may need to work on your sensuality or connection with your body when you see these things, if that makes sense yeah, I guess the most common thing that I see in clients that come to me is that they struggle to love their body just as it is, you know, unconditionally. Um, and a bit like what we said before. There's they feel unconfident, but there's something underneath that they're, they're bursting to express. You know, they want to express their authentic self in whatever that is for them, but they're like there's stuff there that's blocking them from doing that. Um, yeah, and then other things I see in clients is that they don't feel pleasure during sex. You know they they want more pleasure, or they want more intimacy, um, yeah, so a disconnection from pleasure as well yeah, and I think we don't like.

Speaker 1: 15:56

I guess, when I think about talking with my friends, we laugh and joke about maybe having sex toys or like orgasming or things like that, but we never sit down and have a serious conversation about pleasure, what it feels like, um, what they enjoy, what I enjoy, like we never really have those open conversations. I imagine you have those open conversations all the time, but I'm just kind of thinking my friendship group, we don't actually do that and I imagine lots of people like listening probably are like yeah, I don't actually sit there and talk to my friends about pleasure and how it feels and that type of stuff yeah, yeah, and I think this is what is so common right in society.

Speaker 2: 16:37

It's it is quite a taboo topic. You know we don't talk much about sex. I don't know about you, kirstie, but my sex education when I was in school was like a banana on a condom. I think we watched a birth video which was, frankly, quite terrifying and that was about it and a lot of fear. You know they were like don't have sex because you might get this, this and this STI. So what have we learned from that? We've learned that sex is scary and unsafe because we might get pregnant or have an STI, and we haven't learned much else. So you know, that's our foundation.

Speaker 2: 17:18

And then we go into the world and we're like connecting with other people and I think that's something I'm super passionate about to bring that education around, sexuality and this is the sexuality pillar of the Liberated Woman, firstly, like education around, like our anatomy, you know, like what actually is there. I think it's harder for women because everything is more inside. You know, for men, their genitalia is external. For women it's. For men, their genitalia is external. For women it's kind of like yeah, I certainly didn't know much about the inside of my vagina until you know, much later on.

Speaker 1: 17:56

And I think that's like so common, like we don't get told about our menstrual cycles. I had a friend and she was really panicking because she wasn't getting pregnant and I was like you're me off, you late a few days a month, like give it time. And she just didn't even know and I'm like, oh my god, you're trying to conceive, thinking you can get pregnant at any time, and I had exactly had the banana and the condom in like the girls changing room after after PE one day, so I didn't even get a terrifying birth video. So I'm a bit jealous yeah right.

Speaker 1: 18:29

And what about consent? Like that is so huge in making us feel safe in our bodies, never talk about consent. What's that?

Speaker 2: 18:38

I know, and it's so fundamental, isn't it like these things are really. What we need to be taught is you know, the anatomy of our bodies, the consent, how to connect with a partner, all of these things, how to ask for what we want in sex and intimacy yeah yeah, yeah, I'm just glad that somebody else shared the traumatic banana incident.

Speaker 1: 19:02

I'm not alone in that yeah, yeah it was, oh great. So, with all that being said, daisy, what is your best piece of advice to anybody who wants to start embracing their sensuality or their sexuality, but don't know where to start, because it can seem a bit daunting if you've been so disconnected for a while, like to really connect back in. What do you recommend people start with, apart from working with you, of course?

Speaker 2: 19:30

yeah, I would always say it starts with you. So I would say move, move, move, move and in whatever way that appeals to you. So there's so much available now. There's, you know, things like pole dancing, there's burlesque, there's dancing, there's twerking, and it doesn't have to be necessarily, you know, movement, more of a central nature, like any of those things. It could just be like running.

Speaker 2: 19:58

But moving your body. I think that's where it starts, because when you are connected to your sensuality, you have to be in your mind, in your body, sorry, not in your mind and we're taught to be so in our minds. You know thinking, and that's one of the things that we can really access more pleasure with. The more we drop into our body, the more we can feel, um, and the more we can kind of connect to micro sensations that we're feeling, we can feel more of that sensuality. So I would say, absolutely move your body in whatever way feels good, um, and I think, like creating an intimacy with yourself, first and foremost, is super important. So, like, really like noticing what you're feeling, noticing your emotions, noticing you know what's coming up for you, what your thoughts are, and just really having that self-compassion and that self-love and coming to yourself with curiosity rather than, you know, any criticism.

Speaker 1: 21:05

I think those are maybe like less common sort of suggestions, but I think real foundations for connecting to your sensuality, because you can channel that, you have that self-intimacy with yourself that was so lush and I think the biggest thing that you like, like really stood out for me, for what you said is about being present. It's not about thinking, oh well, we're gonna have a tea, what's this, or what that is literally being in your body, checking in with yourself, understanding that it's okay just to leave whatever job you need to do out the door and just create that moment for yourself, which I know is hard for people with busy lives. But actually I always, like I always say this I'm like you are your life's work, do you know? I mean, why shouldn't you have pleasure? Why shouldn't you have, or everything that you wanted? You are your life's work and you deserve to have that time to heal, to be the best version of yourself. So, yeah, I love those suggestions, daisy. They are, they are so, so large. What?

Speaker 2: 22:12

would you say, on top of that is the most common advice you give to clients.

Speaker 1: 22:17

Oh, I mean, I guess it depends on what area we're talking about, yeah and sorry, I've like thrown like a real big, vast question at you, but yeah, I guess, um, with the piece of advice you'd give mostly to clients, I guess it. I guess it's about like the relationship with themselves, like in terms of like the self-love and growing that. Obviously you speak from experience and you've done tons of research and you've done everything, but where is the most common advice that you give to people about loving themselves unconditionally? Let's go with that one, because I could sit here and chat to you all day. Honestly, you are so interesting and I just, yeah, I want to know everything yeah, yeah, okay, I mean I'm gonna.

Speaker 2: 23:00

Yeah, I think I would say, the advice that I would give to people and this is tied in with self-love at the same time is it's that self-intimacy of knowing where we're at, but leaning into those edges because, if we don't lean into those edges of discomfort.

Speaker 2: 23:20

Maybe that's like oh, I'm gonna go to this twerk class and that's a bit scary, you know, maybe that's edgy right. Oh, I'm gonna go to this twerk class and that's a bit scary, you know, maybe that's edgy right. Or I'm gonna go traveling, I'm gonna go on that holiday, or I'm gonna go to a yoga class, whatever it is. Lean into those edges slowly, whatever feels right for you, because that is where we grow. That's that growth edge, um, and can really, you know, produce big change. But we have to be ready and I think that's the thing we gauge where it's a growth edge versus where it's too much and it would just be, you know, feel unsafe for us. But really leaning into that and I think that ties in with, you know, the the self-love part, because you know we're leaning into these things like maybe going to this class might be edgy but ultimately doing that thing might be the next thing to bring about more of that self-love, more of that connection with yourself totally the thought of ever doing a tour class.

Speaker 1: 24:23

You're surprising the shit out of me and then all of a sudden you end up being an instructor and that is even like that's terrifying as well. But yeah, the more you go, the more like you. Just it just feeds you, doesn't? It feeds your soul? And, like you know, when you do something, when it feels right for you, it literally it sets you on fire, doesn't? It makes you feel that passion again, that excitement for life. It's not just blooming the self-love, it's everything else that comes with it as well. But yeah, that's the answer. Thanks, days and um. Okay, let's get into what is coming up for you and the liberated woman in 2024 the big, exciting question oh, I'm so excited.

Speaker 2: 25:05

So at the moment I am teaching I've got three twerk shops coming up um. One is in Essex, one is in Brighton not Brighton, bristol and one is in Bournemouth. Um, and the February ones are like Galentine's themed, so we're going to be bringing in like central striptease and central twerk. So that's super exciting. So I'll be continuing to do twerk shops throughout the year. Um also, I'm doing a retreat with my partner. He's incredible. He does work with men. He's a men's work facilitator and does coaching and retreats and just the most amazing transformational work with men. He's a men's work facilitator and does coaching and retreats and just the most amazing transformational work with men. And we are actually collaborating for the first time. So I'm so excited.

Speaker 1: 25:54

Um that's so, so lush. When I see like photos of your partner, I'm like, oh gosh, both of them together are just so wholesome. I'm like it's so beautiful. So yeah, this retreat is going to be incredible. So what? Do you have a theme for the retreat yet? Have you thought, like you're having men and women, what? What's the vibe?

Speaker 2: 26:15

so he's worked for over five years with just men and now we're bringing this work to women. So it's kind of the men's work format, but opening it to women for the first time. So, yeah, it's going to be really exciting and the retreat is Girl to Queen, so it's really like embracing our inner girl and transitioning that into becoming and stepping into that womanhood and that sovereignty and really living from that queen energy so that's really exciting.

Speaker 2: 26:47

And then later in the year I've also got another retreat coming up with Louise from Everglowing and that will be more like juicy, sensuality, burlesque, and there'll be more online offerings as well. That's kind of what the liberated woman is doing. We're branching more into online things, so this magic of twerk and embodiment and burlesque and the deep work can be spread even further oh, that is so beautiful, daisy.

Speaker 1: 27:15

You are so inspirational, like to hear your journey and like how you got to where you are today, like it's so beautiful, like, oh, it just makes me so emotional. It just makes me so emotional because I'm like, oh yes, like you tell you took control, and not only that you're taking control of it for yourself, but you're also facilitating it for other women, and that's not easy either, like when you have to go through your own stuff and then you know you it's, you work with other women and you expose what they're going through. It can bring up all sorts of stuff in us as well, but you do such a fantastic job and I just love your energy because you're always so calm and collected and just, yeah, absolutely chill, and I am dying for this retreat with your partner and the other retreat that's coming up. So, yeah, when are you going to be releasing details? Are they out already?

Speaker 2: 28:05

yes, so the retreat with my partner is out already. Amazing, you can get that on the unmask womancouk, so that's very exciting and we're going to be doing another one in September actually, so yes, that's so amazing and so exciting yeah, and I'm so grateful for your words, kirsty, thank you.

Speaker 2: 28:28

I just I think, from going what I went through, I was just like I feel like I could have really done with someone and there were amazing people, but I I wish that there was someone that did this sort of work at the time because it'd be so supportive. So I'm kind of like being the person that I really needed at that time, because it's so rife still. You know, there's still so many people that have body image issues, that have, you know, struggled with their sexuality and their pleasure, and I just feel like it's my mission to bring it to the world like liberation through burlesque and twerking and all of the things. So, yeah, it's honestly like my deepest honor to be able to do this work yeah, it's totally your life's purpose.

Speaker 1: 29:15

Like totally. And I, like some people, say, oh yeah, your life purpose changes. I'm like it doesn't like when you find out what you're meant to do. It doesn't change, it doesn't waver, it only gets deeper and more intense, which sounds like you've had your own personal journey. Now you're facilitating it for others. Honestly, 2024 is going to be your most amazing year ever and I literally can't wait to see all the success that that that comes with it for you. Oh my god, days like it's gonna be amazing thank you.

Speaker 2: 29:46

I'm super excited it's gonna be a juicy year everything is juicy.

Speaker 1: 29:52

I love it. I love it. Yeah, so, before I let you go, because I will literally sit here and talk to you all day, where can we find you? Are you on instagram, facebook, what we do and how do we find you?

Speaker 2: 30:04

yeah, so I am on instagram um. My instagram handle is at the dot liberated woman so liberated woman is one word, the dot. And then you can also go on my website, which is wwwtheliberatedwomancouk amazing.

Speaker 1: 30:23

I'll pop all the links below the episode as well so people can find you easily. But yeah, thank you so much for joining me today, daisy. It's been absolutely incredible talking to you. I feel like I've been on this like roller coaster of just emotion, of proudness, and like just understanding your vulnerability and your rawness and I just yeah, just thank you so much for such an incredible interview. It's just yeah. It's given me loads to think about in terms of my own sensuality, so I'm right beyond your retreat but yeah, that would be amazing.

Speaker 2: 30:55

Thank you so much for having me on your wonderful podcast you're so so welcome.

Speaker 1: 31:01

Okay, guys, we are going to end it there for today. Thank you so much for tuning in and listening. Make sure you go and you find daisy, because she is offering just the most incredible things this year, and we're gonna leave it there today and we will see you soon. Bye.