Healing Medicine: Mindfulness, Mindset & Physician Well-Being

Make 2024 the year you sign up for something truly magical. The inspiration for today's podcast was the completion of the 14th Nourish & Transform Mindfulness Coaching, Yoga and Culinary Medicine Retreat at Sagrada. There is nothing out there like it. We share why we do what we do at Sagrada and why we do it there.  These retreats happen amidst nature and natural beauty. There is beautiful light a...

  Mindfulness and coaching gift you the opportunity to feel lighter. To not hold heavy thoughts tightly. They give you tools to finally let go. In this episode, we explore all facets of light including how to see things in a new light and shed light on new things. We hope that after listening you will put down, release, and let go of heaviness. You will feel lighter and more hopeful. We hope you w...

Words can serve as a guiding light to help you reach new heights from a place of alignment.   Words can guide your decisions and actions, and impact "results" tremendously. Words are a tool for a mindful practice of exploration, growth, reflection, and intention setting. Why Words? Language is powerful  Words are simple and familiar Words have tone and energy  Words invite curiosity and spacious e...

"Holidays, especially when spent with young adults, first grandchildren and newly blended families from different cultures are the epitome of "complicated dynamics." "Complicated dynamics" is a beautiful, apt, kind and neutral description of the blend of love, hope, good intentions, confusion, disappointment, pride, grief and more love that accompanies these gatherings. A wealth of varied emotions...

It's normal to be uncomfortable, sad, angry, and frustrated when you receive negative feedback and reviews. It's normal to want to defend yourself, explain why they're wrong, and try to convince them otherwise. With mindfulness, self-compassion, and coaching, you can change your relationship with negative feedback. You can learn to choose to respond in less reactive, more constructive, and healthi...

The college application process is an invitation. An inivitation to tell good stories and grow love, and connection. Mindfulness and mindset coaching can help make the college application journey you had or will have about growth, learning, and love. This is yet another episode in our Parent with Presence series. Please note that this episode will also be relevant to anyone who has ever applied to...

Who knows better than you what's right for you?  Not trusting has a huge cost. It leads to self doubt, fear, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and comparing and despairing.  It is "expensive"-- emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We are trained in medicine to not trust.  We are trained to trust and confirm, to be hypervigilant, and to ruminate and worry about unexpected outcomes and worst case sce...

Knowing your value is important. As is believing in yourself and believing that there could be something better. Today's episode is another story of a life pivot and what is needed to do so with grace. Our guest, Dr. Alicia Chitanand is a shining example of the importance of supporting yourself well during change.  Having support and coaching helped her have a clean and clear mindset.  She shares...

Sending loving kindness to the world. This episode is shared out of love. We share our perspectives as a loving response to things happening in the world that exemplify the worst sides of humanity: hatred, othering, the taking of innocent lives.  Current events bring up uncomfortable emotions: fear, anxiety, shame, guilt, and our tendencies for over-responsibility. They also can become catalysts t...

Sleep is important and it can be a source of tremendous stress. Mindfulness and self-compassion can help decrease sleep-related stress. Most humans at one point or another have had an issue with sleep--whether it be not enough, quality sleep, or too much sleep. If you struggle with sleep you are not alone. Coaching, integrative approaches, sleep mindset work can help you improve your sleep.   Do y...

Self-compassion is a superpower. Studies show self-compassion increases generosity, productivity, and exercise in those who practice it. Mindfulness and self-compassion are rarely seen as integral to our work as physicians and other healthcare providers, but they should be.  Today's special guest is Dr. Shauna Shapiro, the author of Good Morning I Love You: Mindfulness + Self-Compassion Practices...

Judgment of ourselves and others causes a lot of unnecessary pain, shame, blame and guilt. Judgment gets in the way of learning, growth, performance, productivity, connection, and peace. Most of us, especially physicians, move through the world judging. Once you notice and acknowledge your "judgment habit" you can make a choice. The liberation begins with noticing.   Notice where you judge yoursel...

Learn how to move toward health equity with Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang and Dr. Melissa Chen. Dr. Chen is an Associate Professor, Department of Medicine at the Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is also the Medical Director of the Interprofessional Community Clinic (ICC) and Health Equity Course Director. Dr. Chen shares her journey as a cancer patient navigating t...

Restorative, Yin, and Gentle Yoga are some of the  most effective and underutilized tools for stress reduction, nervous system regulation, and overall well-being. These therapeutic yoga practices provide powerful medicine for those struggling with chronic stress, burnout, pain, insomnia, and anxiety. Many women physicians experience life-changing benefits after practicing restorative and yin yoga...

Although being deposed as a treating physician in a third party liability case is never fun, this episode will help you prepare mindfully and intentionally,  so you can suffer, stress and ruminate less. Jessie shares a conversation with her husband, Mark, about how physicians can use mindfulness and knowledge to make the deposition process easier.   Mark is an attorney who has worked for nearly 20...

We don't just grieve with death and tragedy. We grieve loss, change, our childhoods, unmet expectations, and unfulfilled hopes and dreams for relationships.  We grieve lives that didn't turn out how we thought they would or wanted them to. We often grieve during transitions. We grieve for our past selves.   Grief is complicated and frustrating, especially when we don't recognize our feelings as gr...

From  stuck, depleted and despairing to grounded, aligned and hopeful. "Today was a breakthrough for me. You not only gave me the permission, but also the courage, to dream, innovate, and create something I never thought was possible. I've reached the tipping point and it's a place I never ever imagined landing in."   Dr. Dowling initially practiced Ob/Gyn in Alaska. She then transitioned to priva...

Everyone who does new things and stretches themselves has imposter syndrome.  Imposter syndrome doesn't mean you are a problem or there is a problem. For most of us, imposter syndrome is a normal reaction to new things and a habitual response.   Reach out, connect and ask for support. Noticing the objective qualities and credentials you possess is helpful.  Focusing on your experience, skills, kno...

It should be different but you can still make a difference. Dr. Meg Lelonek started coaching about two years ago. At that time she describes herself as "on the tile floor." Today she is practicing medicine at a job she loves and also practicing radical self-acceptance and enjoying the beauty of her life as it is. The tool that got Meg up "off the tile floor" and brought her hope, groundedness, cou...

Our habitual thought patterns play a big role in physical and emotional healing and recovery. In many of these episodes, we share our direct life experiences with the hope that being vulnerable and sharing will help you and those you care for live a healthier life of more ease. In this episode, Jessie shares her own recovery and healing journey after her recent surgery. She specifically shares man...

This is an encore release. Launch the children you love with love.  What would love do?    What would grace do?  What would presence do? Love would show up with curiosity and wonder rather than catastrophize. Love would focus on what you can control. Love would set an intention and model trust, problem solving, elegant vulnerability and connection. Grace would accept, allow and validate all feelin...

A different twist on our parenting with presence. In this episode, we share ways mindfulness and coaching can help you approach parenting your youth athlete. Mindful reflection and intention can help you parent in ways that empower your student athlete to be the best version of themselves and make decisions from a place of strength rather than compare and despair, scarcity, and FOMO. Harder and mo...

You are in control of much more than you think when it comes to your health.  Today's special guest is Dr. Rakesh Jotwani, a former colleague at The Permanente Medical Group. He is a former hospitalist who is now practicing Lifestyle Medicine full-time. We talk about the importance of practicing mindfulness and its many practical applications.    Mindfulness is the instrument you can use to help y...

It is ok and important to create space for what matters most.   Stepping back is stepping in.   When you trust yourself and the universe and connect with your priorities you can create a life of spaciousness and alignment.   "What would self-compassion do?"    Why not step out of FOMO and step into trust and alignment?  It is uncomfortable and takes courage and it is worth it.   Ni-Cheng used to h...

Mind-body medicine enhances the mind's interactions with bodily function to improve overall health and well-being.   Mind Body Medicine is what the Mindful Healers Connect in Nature Retreat is about.   What did people have to say about the retreat? "This was the best thing I did for myself in a very long time." "This retreat is really unique because it is run by physicians who understand the chall...