Paradigm Expansions
Welcome to Day 1 of AWAKEN
Today's interviews focus on starting within:
Building Self-Awareness, Self-Compassion, Self-Love
Keep your journal handy to write down "aha" moments!
Meet Today's Speakers:
Stephanie Rouch, PhD
Spiritual Coach, Founder of Paradigm Expansions, Host of AWAKEN
Samantha Santiago,PhD, MBA
Relationship Coach-Consultant, Founder of CONFIDENCE + FAITH™
Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic, MD PhD
Medical Oncologist, Cancer Cell Biology PhD, Founder of H.E.A.L Clinic
Maxim Jago
Filmmaker, Futurist, Author
Ta'lor Pinkston, LSW
"The Heart Advocate" and Licensed Social Worker
Stephanie Rouch: Awaken to Your True Self:
Integrating Science and Spirituality for Self-Love
In this AWAKEN series interview, guest host Aixa Miguen interviews Stephanie Rouch, PhD, spiritual coach, seeker of truth, lover of life, and host of AWAKEN. Stephanie shares her personal journey of seeking truth and experiencing intense love since the age of 7. Her path has taken her through service in special education, international development, healthcare, and research. After hitting rock bottom, going through a divorce, and changing career paths, Stephanie’s transformation was catalyzed by embodied meditations using the chakra framework. This experience led her to combine evidence-based insights with ancient spiritual wisdom, particularly the chakra system, to guide people on their own spiritual evolution and transformation. In this conversation, Stephanie explains how integrating evidence-based modalities—such as visualization—with ancient spiritual wisdom can profoundly impact your journey. The chakra system serves as both a psychological framework for expanding your view of yourself and a tool for connecting with your metaphysical energy centers. When applied as a psychological tool, it empowers you to be open-hearted and service-oriented without self-sacrifice. You can be your best self, thriving individually, while still loving and serving others.
Stephanie's Free Gifts
Stephanie's free gift is an Energy Alignment Guide designed to walk you through the basics of each of the 7 primary chakras, complete with guided meditation, reflection, and affirmation prompts to support your journey of self-discovery and self-love.
Stephanie is also offering a free AWAKEN integration call to support you in
applying key insights from this series into your life.
Samantha Santiago: A Path to Healing:
Compassion, Seeking Truth, and Self-Love
In this AWAKEN series interview, your host Stephanie Rouch interviews relationship coach-consultant and founder of CONFIDENCE + FAITH™, Samantha Santiago, Ph.D., M.B.A. We discuss Samantha’s journey from loss of self to self-love. Like many who experience deep transformation, Samantha’s path began with adversity. Childhood trauma from parental divorce, alcoholism, and biracial wounds created a pattern of living with hopelessness. However, she oriented to what she really wanted, and over a decade of study, personal growth, and intentional self-love, she found a way to awaken and is sharing her path with others. She shares her framework of the eight types of love, ranging from earthly to spiritual. When any form of love is broken, the self often tries to fill the void with coping mechanisms or addictions. However, self-love, positive relationships, and meaningful communication can transform not only our personal lives but also the world—through the butterfly effect. A key insight Samantha shares is the importance of showing compassion for yourself and others, as we are all spiritual beings who shift together. Healing has positive ripple effects, and loving ourselves deeply can create shifts in the world around us. Samantha invites all listeners to consider how self-love is an act of service to the world. She also encourages listeners to seek truth - go out and look for messages that resonate, as the same concepts across traditions have different labels.
Samantha's Free Gift
Samantha's free gift details 6 stumbling blocks to avoid in relationships.
Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic: Integrating Medical Care and Somatic Holistic Modalities in Oncology and Beyond
In this AWAKEN series interview, your host Stephanie Rouch speaks with Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic, a medical oncologist, cancer cell biology PhD, and the founder of The H.E.A.L. Clinic. We explore the integration of medical care and somatic holistic modalities and how merging science with spirituality can transform healthcare and healing. Aleksandra shares her personal journey of growing up with parents in medicine and physics, leading her to become a doctor. Through her own experiences, she realized that spiritual wisdom and self-awareness are essential components of true healing. While Western medicine provides incredible advancements, she emphasizes the importance of incorporating spiritual traditions to honor the body's innate healing mechanisms. A key insight from Aleksandra is the importance of attunement—for both providers and patients. She encourages healthcare professionals to first attune to themselves in order to better connect with and truly see their patients as whole beings. One of the transformative tools she shares is the simple yet profound question: “Why now?” By asking this without pressure or expectation, patients can begin to uncover deeper root causes, belief systems, and emotional blocks that, when addressed, lead to transformation. In this conversation, Aleksandra walks us through a powerful visualization exercise, inviting us to connect with our most healed self. By integrating this version of ourselves and asking, “What is the next step I can take toward healing?”, we can allow intuitive answers to emerge and guide us forward. Stay connected with her at https://thehealclinic.com.
Dr. Filipovic's Free Gift
Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic is generously offering listeners a 7-day transformational journaling journey designed to help you connect with your healed self and uncover core beliefs.
Maxim Jago: The Creative Soul:
Discovering Freedom through Self-Observation and Exploration
In this AWAKEN series interview, your host Stephanie Rouch interviews filmmaker, futurist, and author Maxim Jago. We explore how everything we do can be seen through a spiritual lens and the power of collective exploration in shaping our understanding of the world. Maxim shares his perspective that we are all spiritual beings. We dive into how the essence of religion is communal practice—sharing spiritual beliefs together. For those who have experienced distrust in organized spirituality, he offers reassurance that it is possible to reconnect with one’s own inner guidance. He encourages being present in the here and now and recognizing that the ability to question, discern, and trust oneself has always been present. A self-described "fan of life," Maxim is deeply curious about the nature of existence and invites others to embrace the present moment—where life is truly happening. He reminds us that while our minds are wired to seek control and safety, many perceived threats are not real. By bringing awareness to our thought patterns, we can create a deeper sense of peace and clarity. Maxim offers a simple yet powerful practice: spending five minutes a day for five days observing oneself without judgment—neither approving or disapproving. By simply witnessing thoughts and intentions, we can cultivate a deeper self-understanding and move beyond limiting beliefs.
Maxim's Free Gift
As a special gift to listeners, Maxim is offering ONE YEAR OF FREE ACCESS to all content from the 2024 Creativity Conference, featuring over 50 hours of insights on making intentional creative decisions in life. Check it out!
Ta'lor Pinkston: The Heart Advocate:
Permission for Self-love
In this AWAKEN series interview, your host Stephanie Rouch interviews Licensed Social Worker and "Self-Love" advocate, Ta’lor L. Pinkston, also known as "The Heart Advocate." We discuss Ta’lor’s journey from prenatal depression to embracing self-love as a transformative practice. Like many who embark on a path of deep healing, Ta’lor’s journey began with personal adversity. During pregnancy, she experienced prenatal depression, which forced her to recognize the importance of caring for herself. This pivotal moment led her to redefine self-love—not just as self-care, but as a holistic practice that encompasses mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. A key insight Ta’lor shares is the idea that self-love is a community act. The way we love ourselves sets an example for others, influencing how they see and treat themselves. People are always watching and learning, making self-love a powerful ripple effect in the world. She encourages listeners to start with permission—to give themselves the space and grace to love themselves fully. Asking intentional questions and paying attention to personal needs is the foundation of this practice.
Ta'lor's Free Gift
Ta’lor offers free resources on her website to help people begin their self-love journey. You can connect with her and explore these tools on Instagram at @theheartadvocate and at https://theheartadvocate.com
Thank you for tuning in!
What were your main takeaways and "aha" moments for today?
Write down your reflections and follow-up questions in your journal.
Tomorrow's interviews will focus on the science of consciousness, healing, and intuition. We have another fabulous lineup of speakers who are excited to share their stories and offerings with you.
Allow yourself to receive the powerful messages coming for you throughout the week.
Want to connect further? Reach out to me at