The Mindful Living

On this The Mindful Living episode, host Sana sits down with therapist and former corporate high-achiever Alicia Zielinski-Straub to talk about what it really takes to “unmask” — moving beyond people-pleasing, stress autopilot, and cognitive overdrive. Alicia explains how nervous system regulation, breath-led practices, and present-moment sensing help dissolve emptiness, expand our window of tolerance, and create more honest ...

On this The Mindful Living episode, host Sana sits down with Jennifer Edwards—Certified Financial Planner turned financial therapist—to unpack mindful spending beyond budgets and hacks. We explore how childhood money scripts, nervous-system triggers, relationships, and culture shape everyday financial choices. Jennifer walks through her 7-Layer Financial Wellness Framework (societal, relational, educational, behavioral, phys...

On The Mindful Living, host Avik speaks with executive coach Yosi Kossowsky about using curiosity to interrupt snap judgments, reduce reactivity, and improve leadership, relationships, and daily decision-making. Yosi explains why we’re not mind readers, how “backstories” we invent create friction, and how to retrain attention to what’s actually known versus assumed. You’ll hear concrete experiments to try this week so you can...

In this episode of The Mindful Living Podcast, host Sana sits down with Rahul Karan Sharma, a leadership strategist, Forbes Coaches Council member, and creator of the CLIMB Framework. Rahul shares how mindful leadership goes beyond authority and metrics, emphasizing presence, purpose, and performance. Discover how to navigate corporate challenges, build confidence without ego, foster an inclusive culture, and transform stress into ...

On this The Mindful Living Podcast episode, host Nazish (filling in for Sana) sits down with psychotherapist and author Lisa Gray, LMFT, to get practical about love when chronic illness enters the relationship. We unpack what acceptance really means in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), how to renegotiate intimacy beyond sex, why caregiver–patient dynamics can quietly erode connection, and the simple, present-moment practic...

On this episode of The Mindful Living Podcast, host Sana explores how physical symptoms can be emotional messages—and how to listen before the body “screams.” Guest Beth Mielbrecht, Health Detective (mechanical engineer turned energy-medicine practitioner) breaks down bioenergetic testing, stress “metabolizing,” and the role of boundaries in healing. You’ll learn practical ways to refill your cup, spot the difference between ordina...

On this episode of The Mindful Living with host Sana, Sydney-based CPA-qualified finance professional and Buddhist practitioner Saw Myint breaks down self-mental healthcare “the Buddhist way,” in clear, everyday language. We explore why most reactions are echoes of memory, how our six senses filter perception, and simple, science-aligned micro-practices to reduce stress without spiritual jargon. Expect grounded tools: staying consc...

On The Mindful Living podcast with host Sana, Dr. Anne White (DAOM) unpacks how chronic fear, worry, and stress can keep the body in a “not-ready” loop she calls Pregnancy Avoidant Syndrome—and how simple, science-backed neuroplasticity tools help the brain-body relearn safety for conception. We cover the cortisol–progesterone trade-off, why “just relax” fails, and a practical 60-second breathing reset you can use today. Cle...

Ambitious women often “do everything right” yet feel behind—especially in postpartum and perimenopause. In this direct conversation on The Mindful Living, Dr. Amy Loden Tiffany (physician, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, author of The Postpartum Pivot) breaks down mindset traps—perfectionism, catastrophizing, comparison, all-or-nothing thinking—and how they play out in sleep, cravings, inflammation, and daily choices. We examine...

Binge eating isn’t a character flaw—it’s a conditioned loop your brain learned to automate. In this straight-talk episode of The Mindful Living, host Sana and Amber Abila (The Confident Eater) break down the habit cycle behind binge eating, why willpower alone collapses under nervous-system stress, and how neuroplasticity, visualization, and identity work help you rewire for calm, consistent choices. We unpack practical regu...

On The Mindful Living with host Sana, we cut through the noise and look at how the ego quietly fuels stress—and how to step out of the loop. Danielle Matthews, who rebuilt her inner world after a traumatic brain injury, explains four common ego patterns (resistance, control, identity, urgency) and offers grounded tools—acceptance, nervous-system awareness, and Yoga Nidra—to move from reactivity to calm. Clear language, relatable ex...

On The Mindful Living podcast, host Sana speaks with Rachel Lundberg, founder of Yoga Oak University and creator of the Alignment-Based Yoga Specialist Certification. Rachel reframes yoga from “poses on a mat” to a practical, teachable system that supports chronic illness recovery, aging bodies, and anyone feeling disconnected. We dig into why many yoga classes feel unsafe or confusing, how biomechanics and precise cueing pr...

In this episode of The Mindful Living with host Sana, certified health and executive life coach Barbara Palmer joins us to explore how disempowering thoughts and limiting beliefs silently shape our identity, relationships, and success. Together, we dive into the roots of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the “I’m not enough” mindset—beliefs often formed before age seven. Barbara shares how the neuroscience-based MAP (Make Anything...

In this episode of The Mindful Living with host Sana, we explore why healing is not meant to be done alone. My guest, Valerie Pedigo, founder of Renewed Spirit Adventures, shares her personal journey through burnout, illness, and rediscovery—and why community became her lifeline. We discuss the hidden costs of high-achieving culture, the stigma around self-care, and how sisterhood circles create safety, belonging, and transformatio...

On The Mindful Living, host Sana talks with PJ Glassey (XGym) about replacing “mindless” sets-and-reps with time-under-tension, form-first, slow, controlled movement that doubles as active meditation. We cover why two 21-minutesessions per week can rival hours of traditional training, how prefrontal cortex engagement improves coordination, decision-making, and habit change, and practical cues to turn a basic squat into brain-body t...

On the The Mindful Living Podcast with host Sana, personal alignment coach Daniel Anderson breaks down how mindfulness becomes a lifeline in real crisis—job loss, addiction recovery, divorce, grief, and near-homelessness. He explains his LEGACY Code for getting back into alignment, setting boundaries that hold, and choosing presence over panic. This is a direct, practical conversation for anyone navigating turmoil and ready to move...

On this The Mindful Living Podcast episode, host Sana explores what it really means to live as a whole human—with integrity, softness, and clarity—alongside Teresa Thomas-Smith, leadership coach and Mayor of Palmetto, Georgia. Teresa unpacks feminine leadership without hard-edge posturing, how to set non-negotiable boundaries, why surrender often beats strategy, and the difference between branded authenticity and embodied truth. Pr...

When a late-night ER visit revealed a cancer diagnosis, former career teacher Allison Pazuk refused to be a passive patient. In this direct, no-fluff conversation on The Mindful Living, host Sana digs into Allison’s BONKERS framework: Brave, Open, Non-conforming, Kick-ass, Emotional, Resilient, and Self-advocacy. We unpack how mindset, meditation, research, and informed choices can sit alongside conventional care without drif...

On this The Mindful Living Podcast conversation with host Sana, trauma recovery coach and bodyworker Lori Maher breaks down nervous-system dysregulation in plain language and shares how Chinese medicine, acupressure/shiatsu, Reiki, yoga, and daily self-care helped her move from constant anxiety to steadier living. We get specific about “fight/flight/freeze,” the “window of tolerance,” what energy work actually looks like, an...