Radiant Goddess Mom On The Street: Lisa Marie Rankin

Through her writing, teaching, and creative projects, Radiant Goddess Mom on the Street Lisa Marie Rankin inspires women to be their best selves.

Meet Lisa Marie

Several years ago, Lisa Marie Rankin decided to follow the path of the goddess. She left her job in the corporate world to pursue her passion for writing and teaching yoga, meditation, and spiritual concepts. Lisa Marie also studies feminine form Ayurveda, an ancient system that helps women optimize their health by holistically caring for their body, mind, and spirit. As an advocate for women’s health, happiness and spirit, she teaches women to reconnect with their bodies, prioritize pleasure, and rely on their inner wisdom so they can become a goddess.

Lisa Marie Rankin holds an MBA and MS from Bentley University. You can find her essays on Medium.com. She lives right outside of Boston with her children, dog, and flock of chickens. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, snorkeling, and spending time with mother nature.

The Goddess Solution

Lisa Marie recently wrote The Goddess Solution: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life. She recognizes that women are natural caregivers, but just because caregiving comes naturally to women does not mean they have an unlimited supply of energy to dole out. Eventually, women start to feel depleted, tired, and, let’s face it – a little annoyed.

Lisa Marie wants all frazzled and overwhelmed moms to tap into their inner goddess so that they can reclaim their strength, peace of mind, and vitality.

“You can think of the goddess as an energy that you can call upon and embody when you need it,” says Rankin. “When you’re beginning to feel more like Cinderella than a goddess, you can call on Demeter– the Greek goddess of the harvest, grain, and fertility and mama to her daughter, Persephone.

We can also use Ayurveda to connect with our inner goddess. Ayurveda is the ancient Indian system that looks to optimize health through holistically caring for body, mind, and spirit through food, lifestyle, and self-care practices. Within Ayurveda is the concept of ojas. Ojas is your immunity, vitality, and your energy. It’s also your radiance. When your ojas is high, you have a zest for life and feel unstoppable. When it’s low you likely feel tired and glum. You can build and strengthen your ojas when you eat nourishing foods, move your body in strengthening ways, and when you experience pleasure. Ojas decrease when you don’t take the time to care for your body, mind, and spirit.”

Radiant Goddess Family Time

What’s your favorite way to spend time with your family?

Hiking with my kids. We spend a lot of time in New Hampshire and are looking to hike all 48 of the 4,000 footers. I used to need to wait up for my children, but now they need to wait for me. They seem to bounce up the mountain.

What’s been your best family vacation?

Just me and my two children went to St. John for a week one April. It was terrific! We went snorkeling every day, found some great restaurants, and just got to enjoy each other’s company. We’re looking forward to getting back there.

What’s your favorite family game?

Cranium

What song gets everyone in the family dancing?

We spent a year singing and dancing to Hamilton, which was a lot of fun. Right now, we like Elle King’s America’s Sweetheart.

A Goddess Eats

What’s your go-to family dinner?

My daughter, who is 14 years old, is the chef of the family. She is an amazing chef and makes very creative dishes that I would never even try. My go-to dinner is roast chicken with potatoes, onions, and carrots.

What’s your favorite family restaurant?

A restaurant we found in St. John – Skinny Legs. It is very casual, but we loved the atmosphere, the people, and the chickens and cats just walking around.

Radiant Goddess Parenting

Best parenting advice:

It’s actually a saying I heard: The days are long, but the years are short.

It’s so true! My children are 12 and 14 now. It seems like they were just kids yesterday. I try to enjoy each moment with them – it really is priceless. Even though the pandemic was tough on everyone, I appreciate the extra time it afforded me with my children.

What are some of the best things your kids have taught you?

Things don’t need to be perfect; they just need to work for us. And that enjoying ourselves is our top priority. We are in the process of getting a bunny. We already have a dog and a flock of chickens. Our house is a little chaotic, and I would like it to be more organized – but it’s more important that it is filled with love, creativity, and fluffy creatures to care for.

Parenting true confession:

I’m divorced, so the kids go to their dad’s house every other weekend. Though I miss them quite a bit, I enjoy that time to catch up on work, creative projects and be alone with my partner. Mother’s guilt makes me reluctant to admit that, but there are some benefits to divorce. This time allows me to fill up my energy to be the best mom to them when they return!

What’s your favorite part about being a parent?

Having children gives meaning to your life. It’s not the only thing that gives meaning, of course, but it is a big part. It’s a worthy pursuit to raise well-adjusted, kind, and curious children. They also remind you to see the world through a child’s eyes (which all great spiritual masters have taught!) and, of course, to have fun and stay in the present moment.

Radiant Goddess on the Go

What 5 things are you most likely to have in your purse at all times?

A mask (never thought I would say that one!), lipgloss, my phone, a hair tie, and water.

Favorite parenting hack: Grace. I know that I’m not going to get everything done that I want on a day-to-day basis. But I give myself grace and prioritize what needs to get done each day. Sometimes kids will just need to grab clean clothes from the dryer and make their own lunch. Progress over perfection.

Radiant Goddess Life

What’s your favorite show to binge-watch? Oddly, I’ve been binge-watching Kingdom (the MMA series, not the South Korean political drama of the same name, which sounds more thoughtful). You wouldn’t think that someone who writes about goddesses would be interested in a Mixed Martial Arts TV series – but I find it strangely fascinating. It could be the nice-looking men, or it could be the writing. I’m not sure, and I don’t question it. Though, I do close my eyes during the fight scenes.

If you could pick anyone to star as you in a movie based on your life, who would it be?Kate Hudson

What’s your favorite beach read?Anything by Elin Hilderbrand

If you could spend a day with anyone from history, living or deceased, who would it be?Author Erica Jong.

What’s at the top of your travel bucket list?Costa Rica

Do you have any guilty pleasures?Binge-watching Kingdom

What’s your favorite form of self-care?Sex

What’s your favorite way to unwind at the end of a long day?Taking a walk