What if your anxiety, gut issues, or chronic fatigue aren’t just “mental”—but messages from your body asking you to slow down, clean up, and tune in? In this powerful episode of The Big Silence, Mona Sharma—a former luxury beauty exec turned celebrity wellness expert—shares her personal journey from corporate burnout and heart surgeries to building an "at-home ashram" for healing. Mona breaks down how unresolved stress, toxic products, and hustle culture disconnect us from our own vitality, and how even small changes to your environment and routine can radically transform your health. This is not about all-or-nothing wellness—this is about reclaiming your body’s wisdom, one choice at a time.

Can You Really Heal Yourself By Cleaning Out Your Cabinet?

Mona believes you can. But it starts with understanding how clutter, chemicals, and cortisol create chaos in your body—and how to shift back to balance.

(00:00:00) Mona’s Breaking Point: From Fashion World to the ER Table

• Mona shares how corporate life and untreated stress led to two heart surgeries by age 24.
• Doctors offered no root-cause insight—just meds and more surgeries.
• A trip back to her childhood ashram helped her reconnect with the healing power of food, nature, and rest.
• “The doctors wanted to treat my symptoms, but not my story.”
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(00:12:18) Build Your Ashram at Home: Rituals, Food, and Space That Heal

• Rise with the sun, meditate, and simplify your schedule to support circadian rhythms.
• Use your home as a wellness sanctuary—starting with your kitchen, then skincare, then sleep space.
• “Eat like you love yourself”: whole foods, healthy swaps, and reduce toxins with apps like Yucca and EWG.
• Bonus: Herbal teas, salt-boosted hydration, and blackout curtains make a big impact.
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(00:22:33) From Hustle to Harmony: Rewiring the Nervous System

• Mona reveals how stress became her identity—and how letting go of hustle was the hardest part.
• She discusses the societal pressure to “do it all” and why honoring your energy is the new productivity.
• “Rest is scheduled at the ashram. Why isn’t it scheduled in your life?”
• Healing comes from permission: to pause, to not perform, and to prioritize joy.
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(00:29:57) Celebrity Wellness: How Mona Became Will Smith’s Private Chef

• Mona’s wellness career snowballed after a chance client connection—Jonathan from the Property Brothers.
• She later supported Will Smith, Jay Shetty, and Julianne Hough through holistic lifestyle overhauls.
• The root of her approach: personalized protocols that combine ancient wisdom with functional testing.
• “It’s not just about what you eat—it’s how you live, breathe, and rest.”
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(00:44:07) Start Here: Three Questions to Create Your Wellness Plan

• What are the 3 main imbalances you feel? What’s contributing to them?
• Use that insight to create your action plan—no overhaul needed.
• Ditch the diet fads and increase gut-friendly fiber from real, colorful foods.
• “There’s no red pill. Your diet should be as unique as your fingerprint.”
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Thanks for the support from our partners, including:

Ketone IQ | This episode is sponsored by Ketone-IQ. Save 30% off your first subscription order and receive a free six-pack of Ketone-IQ at ketone.com/TBS.

Guest Info:

• Website: monasharma.com
• Instagram: @monasharma
• Podcast: Rooted in Wellness

Resources:

• Pre-order The Big Silence Memoir audiobook
• Start a conversation in your The Big Silence merch: thebigsilence.com/collections/shop-all
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
• Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

Mentioned in this episode:

Ketone IQ | Visit ketone.com/TBS for 30% off your first subscription!