Take A Breath cover art

Take A Breath

Take A Breath

By: Polly Warren
Listen for free

About this listen

A podcast for creating practical calm in the messy middle of midlife.


This is your space to pause.

Because life in midlife is full-on. Between work, family, menopause, and the mental load, your nervous system can easily end up in constant overdrive — leaving you feeling exhausted, reactive, and overwhelmed by even the smallest things.


Each week, I’ll share my own tools, alongside honest conversations and practical nervous system support — to help you create more calm, peace, joy, and inner steadiness. Not by escaping your life, because that’s totally unrealistic, but by meeting it differently.


So when you're ready, let’s take a breath together…

© 2026 Take A Breath
Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Thursday Thoughts — Breaking The Cycle Of Negativity
    Feb 19 2026

    On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about breaking the cycle of negativity.

    We explore how easy it is to get caught in those negative spirals where one thought leads to another and suddenly we're knee-deep in a full-on wallow, feeling pretty rubbish about everything.

    We chat about how the way we feel most of the time becomes the energy we're putting out into the world — and how that energy attracts more of the same right back to us.

    We also share some of the practical things we both use to gently interrupt a negative spiral and shift our state when we notice ourselves heading down that familiar path.

    We hope that you enjoy this conversation.

    Love,

    Polly & Lucy x

    Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time.

    Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now.

    Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible.

    To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to: https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace

    Email me at: info@pollywarren.com
    https://www.pollywarren.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • How to Embrace Your Second Spring — and Why Rest Is Part of It with Kate Codrington
    Feb 17 2026

    This week on Take a Breath, I’m joined by brilliant Kate Codrington — author, therapist, facilitator, speaker, and guide for women navigating the menopause transition.

    Kate is the author of Second Spring, named one of the seven best books on menopause by the New York Times, and The Perimenopause Journal (2024), described as “an essential resource” by leading endocrinologist Professor Annice Mukherjee. With over 30 years’ experience as a therapist, Kate brings psychological depth, nervous system wisdom, and compassion to the conversation around midlife.

    In this episode of Take a Breath, we explore menopause not as something to push through or “fix,” but as a natural rite of passage. A threshold. A season rich with meaning, creativity, and the potential for profound self-discovery.

    If you’ve been feeling unsettled, wired, more emotional than usual, or unsure of who you’re becoming, this conversation offers context and reassurance.

    Together, we explore:

    • Why menopause is both a physical and psychological transition — and how it mirrors the seasons of nature and your inner life
    • The three phases of midlife: separation, surrender, and emergence — and how understanding them can reduce fear and self-doubt
    • Why rest is not indulgent, but a necessary nervous system reset for chronically busy, overstimulated women
    • How Yoga Nidra and deep rest practices create safety, restoration, and deep repair
    • Why midlife is an invitation to reclaim your inner authority, creative fertility, and self-trust — rather than trying to be who you once were

    Kate’s voice is calm, grounded, and deeply validating. This episode offers permission to slow down, let go of what no longer fits, and trust the wisdom of this season — even when it feels messy.

    Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time.

    Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now.

    Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible.

    To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to: https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace

    Email me at: info@pollywarren.com
    https://www.pollywarren.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Thursday Thoughts - The Patriarchy
    Feb 12 2026

    On this week's Thursday's Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking all about the patriarchy.

    This social system that historically centres white men as the default holders of power, money, status and authority, is woven into the very fabric of society.

    It shows up in a million subtle - and not so subtle - ways: women playing small because they’ve been taught to be pleasing, quiet, polite and accommodating; women taking on the ‘invisible load’ of housework and kid-min; women being put down at work or at home because of the inherent and subconscious belief that men are somehow superior.

    In this conversation, Lucy and I talk about how the patriarchy has shown up in our own lives, as well as how things are so much worse for women in other countries and cultures. And this is exactly why women need to start speaking up and standing up for both themselves, and the many, many women who are less fortunate than those of us in western cultures.

    We hope you’ll find something interesting in here.

    Love,
    Polly & Lucy x

    Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time.

    Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now.

    Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible.

    To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to: https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace

    Email me at: info@pollywarren.com
    https://www.pollywarren.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Love listening to Polly and her interesting guests. I needed to learn more about my body changing and this podcast gave me a lot of useful information from guests with such different backgrounds as well as approaches to women's health. Listening to Polly with her sweet voice and wise choice of questions feels like such an uplifting way to spend my drive home. Putting up her podcast makes me even more motivated to get outside for a walk, feeling like I brought a friend along.

Great supportive and informative podcast

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.