“Aging isn't just about getting older; it's about growing more evolved each day.  More nuanced, more enriched. More beautiful. More ourselves” - Emily Dickinson

How do we age with softness? 

How do we approach a birthday—or a fertility milestone—with compassion instead of judgment? 

In this rich and heart-forward conversation, I join Dr. Erica Bove, my birthday twin, to explore what it means to see with the heart, especially in moments of uncertainty, grief, and growth.

Dr. Erica Bove is a reproductive endocrinologist and integrative fertility coach for women physicians. She is a beloved retreat participant who shares candid reflections about her experience at not one, but two of my retreats. 

This podcast episode was recorded for her podcast, Love and Science Fertility.

We recorded it in celebration of our upcoming birthdays.

This is what she has to say about the episode – 

“With the growth of the Love and Science community, it feels like we are constantly navigating a birthday in the group. Birthdays are often fraught with many complexities-- grief for where we thought we would be by now, cognitive dissonance of people wanting to celebrate us when we feel sad and angry, and also the sheer fact that our ovaries are getting older.  I've known Dr. Jessie Mahoney for a long time; in fact, we share the same birthday. July is our birthday month, so we decided to team up and share our wisdom about birthdays. We hope to share a fresh perspective on birthdays. I look to her for wisdom and guidance, and I'm sure you will feel the depth of her presence when you listen.”

In this episode, we discuss birthdays as soulful markers of time and growth, how expectations can shift into intentions, and what it means to return to yourself with tenderness, especially in the face of challenges.

This episode is a mindful invitation to pause and reflect on how far you’ve come, what you’ve learned, and who you’re becoming.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Replacing expectations with intentions opens space for softness, peace, and joy, especially around birthdays and timelines.

• Fertility journeys can feel like a relentless race against time, but when we pause to look through the lens of growth and wisdom, we find we are never moving backwards.

• Self-compassion is not optional—it's essential. Learning to see with the heart invites healing, clarity, and grounded decision-making.

• We are not meant to carry everything alone. Being part of a loving, mindful community changes everything.

• The nervous system responds to intentional calm. Creating space for reflection and stillness isn’t indulgent—it’s medicine.

Reflection Questions:

• What do you know this year that you didn’t know last year?

• How are you not alone in your current journey?

• What would your future, wisest self wish you had done more of this year?

If this episode resonates with you, I invite you to explore how Pause and Presence retreats can offer you a transformational reset. 

Whether you're seeking grounding, clarity, or simply a breath of fresh air in your life, you'll return home with renewed energy and wisdom that lasts. Visit www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats to learn more.

Mindful coaching also offers tremendous support for transformation and a reset.  www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. 

If you're a team, institution, or conference seeking a speaker or workshop on mindfulness, leadership, or healing in medicine, please contact me at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking.

To experience more of Dr. Erica Bove’s integrative fertility wisdom, or to invite her to speak or teach, visit www.loveandsciencefertility.com.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

Have you ever found yourself asking, Why can’t they just…? or Why are they doing this to me? These questions often swirl through our minds during frustrating moments on the road, at work, in our relationships, or even in response to news headlines and legislation. 

They come with a heavy emotional toll.

Today, we explore the actual cost of resisting reality. 

We share vulnerable personal stories, practical tools, and insights from lived experiences that help soften the inner storm and shift us toward mindful acceptance. 

You'll learn how to move from reactivity and depletion to intentional response and inner steadiness, even in the face of injustice, disappointment, or chaos.

This episode is a call to pause, feel, and choose love over resistance, without bypassing the hard stuff. 

We offer gentle practices and an empowering new lens to meet the human experience with compassion.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Resisting reality, whether in policy, traffic, or personal relationships, drains your emotional and energetic resources.

• Acceptance isn’t resignation; it’s acknowledging what is so that you can choose your response with clarity and care.

• Mindful practices like “R.A.I.N.” or “RainR” help you feel your emotions fully and shift out of resistance with grace.

• Humor, curiosity, and generous narratives can support the acceptance process when feelings of anger or sadness feel overwhelming.

• You can’t control others’ actions or thoughts, but you can ground yourself in your values and intentional responses.

Reflection Questions:

• When I ask, “Why can’t they...?” how do I feel—empowered, or depleted?

• What am I currently resisting—and what is it costing me?

• How might I allow myself to feel my emotions without judgment?

• What would a wise, compassionate next step look like?

Stay until the end for a calming, mindful moment designed to help you ground, release resistance, and gently return to a state of peace.

If this episode resonates and you're navigating resistance in your own life, join Jessie for a retreat where we practice letting go, feeling fully, and moving forward with strength and softness: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.

For 1:1 support on your journey toward inner steadiness, alignment, and healing, explore mindful coaching with Jessie at https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching.

To bring this kind of healing wisdom to your team, institution, or event, reach out to invite Dr. Jessie Mahoney or Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang to speak or lead a workshop: Jessie: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking Ni-Cheng: www.awakenbreath.org

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

A real-time invitation to pause, reflect, and integrate.

In this special mid-year episode,  we offer you the spaciousness and tools to reconnect with your intentions, acknowledge your growth, and mindfully marinate in what matters most. 

We reflect openly on our guiding words for the year—how they’ve supported us, challenged us, and shaped our journeys so far. 

With humor, honesty, and heart, we invite you to slow down and notice what’s working, what’s shifted, and what your future self will thank you for.

This is an imperfect, spontaneous practice of self-kindness—and a gentle reminder that true healing happens not just through action but through thoughtful integration.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Reflecting mid-year is a powerful way to integrate growth and move forward with clarity and intention.

• Questions like “What have I done well?” and “What’s bringing me joy?” help retrain our brains toward positive attention and away from perfectionism.

• Your words of the year—whether you remember all of them or just one—can serve as wise, compassionate guides when revisited with openness.

• Resting, in all its forms, is not a pause from progress—it is progress.

• You don’t have to answer every question, or reflect perfectly; this is about practicing awareness with kindness.

Reflection Questions:

• What have I done well?

• What has gone well?

• What is working well?

• What’s bringing you joy, delight, or fun?

• What have you loved so far this year?

• What will your future self thank you for spending more time on in the next six months?

Allow yourself to answer only what resonates and let the rest marinate. Let this be a moment to reset with kindness.

Stay until the end for a grounding mindful moment of reflection—an opportunity to fully pause, breathe, and let the insights of this episode settle gently into your heart.

If this episode resonated with you and you're longing to explore your own healing, reflection, or transformation journey, I would love to support you. 

Join me for a retreat in 2025 while there are still a few spots left: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.

To explore mindful coaching that creates space for growth and integration, visit https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. 

If you’d like to bring this type of reflection, rest, and reintegration into your organization or conference, reach out to invite Dr. Mahoney or Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang to speak or lead a transformative workshop: Jessie: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking Ni-Cheng: www.awakenbreath.org

Let’s keep creating space for healing—one pause, one breath, one moment at a time.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

How many conversations in medicine today focus on how hard and how broken things are?

This episode is a hopeful and grounded counterpoint.

Enjoy a rich and thoughtful conversation with Dr. Jed Wolpaw, an anesthesiologist, critical care physician, educator, and host of the beloved medical education podcast ACRAC (Anesthesia and Critical Care Reviews and Commentary) 

Jed and I first connected at a speaker's dinner at the Holiday Seminars Anesthesia Conference in Aspen this winter.

We bonded over our shared experiences as physician educators, parents, and advocates for cultivating wellness in medicine.

Dr. Wolpaw is the residency program director for anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins. 

His grounded optimism and lived wisdom offer a refreshing and insightful look at what true wellness can look like during medical training.  He also shares wise words about cultivating meaningful and sustainable careers in academic medicine and beyond.

We dive deep into how training can be fulfilling, why leadership matters, and what it takes to build teams and systems that support thriving, not just surviving.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Wellness in medicine doesn't require perfection, but it does require intention, connection, and focusing on what truly matters.

• Meaning and fulfillment are protective. Doing something hard (like residency) can be energizing if we’re supported, connected, and focused on the purpose behind the work.

• Training systems can and must evolve. Offering flexibility, encouraging open dialogue, and creating a culture where people feel safe and seen matters deeply.

• Judging less and building more—especially in leadership roles—is how we create teams people want to be a part of.

• Mindset, expectations, and energy management matter more than time management. Focusing on what energizes you is often the most resilient path forward.

Reflection Questions:

• What gives you energy during your day, and how might you shift more attention toward that?

• What kind of team member are you, and how are you contributing to the culture you want to be a part of?

• If you're in a leadership role, how are you creating safe spaces for people to be honest, grow, and feel supported?

If you're ready to create your own sustainable path in medicine, I invite you to work with me. Whether 1:1 or as part of a small group, you will learn tools to bring intention, compassion, and creativity to leadership, doctoring, and life. Learn more at: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching

You’re also warmly invited to one of my signature restorative retreats, designed specifically for physicians seeking to reconnect, recalibrate, and realign. Find upcoming retreats at: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats

If you’re a medical leader or educator and would like to bring me to speak or lead a workshop for your institution, team, or conference, reach out via www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking .

Connect with Dr. Wolpaw through his podcast at www.acrac.com.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

This episode is an invitation to allow joy, play, and fun to take their rightful place in your life—without guilt, resistance, or apology.

Beni Seballos, a family physician, mom, wife, daughter, and radiant soul shares how she went from overwhelmed and over-responsible to energized, creative, and genuinely happy. Beni transformed her from a life of self‑sacrifice and exhaustion to one of trust, fun, healing, and inspired leadership.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Joy isn’t frivolous—it’s foundational. Reconnecting with play isn’t about doing more; it’s about living more. 

• Joy, play, and creativity can flourish alongside medicine.  

• Defining “what’s my job” helps free up energy for what truly matters and allows others to step up.

• Fun is a compass, not a reward: when you lean into it without guilt or apology, you invite vitality and connection.

• True change often starts quietly, within you—but it inevitably ripples outward, positively shifting family dynamics, workplace culture, and your sense of what’s possible.

• Letting go of over-responsibility, people-pleasing, and perfectionism is uncomfortable—but it clears the way for clarity, connection, and creativity.

• Coaching and retreat experiences are not for “broken” people—they serve those ready to learn, unlearn, and rediscover vibrancy.

Reflection Questions:

• What brings you joy or fun? What do you do purely for your own delight?

• How might your life shift if joy, creativity, or play became valid priorities on their own?

• What routines or roles are simply no longer fun for you—and may be ready to be released?

If you’d love to explore what this kind of joyful evolution might look like for you, I invite you to consider joining me for a transformational retreat at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats or working with me one-on-one through coaching at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching.

And if you’re looking to bring a fresh, mindful approach to your team or institution, I offer speaking engagements and workshops at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking. You can also connect with Dr. Nichang Liang and explore her beautiful offerings at www.awakenbreath.org.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

Have ever felt like you had to hide parts of yourself to belong, especially in medicine? 

Honoring your truth, even in a high-intensity field like neurosurgery, can lead to deep healing, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose.

An intimate and courageous conversation with Dr. Jenny Kang, a neurosurgeon who shares her inspiring story of transformation—one that challenges traditional definitions of success and fulfillment in medicine, particularly for women in surgery. 

Jenny and I first connected when she came to a Pause & Presence retreat over a year ago. Since then, she has reconnected with herself, her family, and created a life she loves. 

Her story is one of coming home to yourself and standing tall once you get there, even if you work in operating rooms built for much taller people.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• You don’t have to do it the way you were told or even the way you once believed you should. There are many ways to practice medicine with meaning.

• When women physicians live aligned lives, they bring healing into medicine and themselves. Fulfillment in your career and personal life is not only possible, it’s necessary.

• Shame often arises when you do things differently in medicine. It doesn't mean you have done something wrong.

• Creating a life that works for you takes courage, creativity, and compassion—and it’s always worth it.

• When you let go of the belief that you don’t belong and instead decide that you do, everything begins to shift.

Reflection Questions:

• Where in your life are you living by someone else's mold or definition of success?

• What would change if you decided you belonged?

• What parts of your life have you labeled “indulgent” that might actually be essential for your healing and wholeness?

If you're ready to design a fulfilling life that fits who you are, I invite you to explore coaching with me at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. Or join me on a retreat like Jenny did, www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.

If you're seeking a speaker or workshop leader for your organization or event, visit www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking. 

To bring Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang to your audience, visit www.awakenbreath.org.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

A heartfelt conversation with an ER physician, poet and author. 

From a Studio in Oakland, California: 108 Notes on Existence, is a must-read - whether you’re an ER physician, a young adult navigating the uncertainty of life, or someone simply seeking meaning and alignment. 

I discovered this book serendipitously a few weeks ago.

Enia and I connected via her publicist, who reached out asking if I was interested in receiving a copy of the book. Because the title had the word Oakland in it, near where I grew up, her email caught my eye.

Then I saw that an emergency room doctor had written it.  So I said yes. 

Once the real book arrived in my real mailbox, it was clear that we were meant to connect. 

Every passage resonated deeply.   

The book, released in May 2025, is a powerful integration of poetry, soul, and the lived experience of a physician waking up to a life more deeply felt.  

It is a beautiful and honest invitation to reconnect with ourselves, especially when we've been trained to disconnect. 

Pearls of Wisdom from our conversation:

• Your soul knows when you’re out of alignment. Dr. Oaks ( a pseudonym) shares how taking a pause—not knowing what came next, was what brought her back to life. We explore the courage it takes to step away from what’s expected to reconnect with what’s real.

• Disillusionment is a pathway, not a failure. We talk about how medicine teaches us to disconnect, but the cost is profound. Dr. Oaks’ writing gives voice to the silent grief and subtle truths that live within many of us.

• You don’t need permission to live a beautiful life. Through her reflections and poetic insights, Dr. Oaks reminds us that we are not here to endure life—we are here to feel it, shape it, and choose it.

Reflection Questions:

• What might you discover if you allowed yourself to pause, even for a moment?

• How might your life shift if you believed you were already whole?

• What would it feel like to choose a path because it feels right, not just because you can?

I encourage you to get yourself a copy of From a Studio in Oakland, California: 108 Notes on Existence.  It's a book to keep close by, to fold the corners of, and return to again and again.  

Please share the book, and this podcast conversation, with others.

AND please join Enia and me for a book club on July 13th @ 5 pm Pacific on Zoom.

More info coming soon.

If you're feeling the pull to reconnect with yourself, explore what’s next, or live more fully, join me for a coaching journey at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching.  Evem better, join me in person and come to a retreat where we rediscover alignment, community, and joy: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.

If you’d like to bring a conversation like this to your team, institution, or conference, reach out for speaking opportunities at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking.

Connect with Enia Oaks through her website at www.eniaoaks.com.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

This episode is an invitation to explore travel through a different lens—a mindful one. 

Whether you're traveling for work, visiting family, or taking a long-awaited vacation, we hope that this conversation helps you bring more intention, presence, and ease.

We offer gentle, grounded tips to help you redefine what success looks like when you travel. It isn't about doing the most or chasing the perfect itinerary. It's about traveling in a way that honors your energy, desires, and well-being.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Setting a clear intention—before and during travel—transforms the experience from obligation or exhaustion to meaning and presence.

• Let go of old stories: travel doesn’t need to be long, far, busy, or impressive to be meaningful. Less can be more—and sometimes more is more—when it’s chosen with intention.

• Be kind to yourself as you plan and move through travel. That might mean fewer obligations, more flexibility, and yes, even booking that easier flight or skipping a hike to rest.

• Leave room to breathe—literally and figuratively. White space in your itinerary allows for awe, spontaneity, and true connection.

• Choose presence over pressure. Redefine what a “successful” trip looks like, not by what you see or do, but by how you feel during and after.

Reflection Questions:

• What’s your intention for your next trip? What do you hope to feel, experience, or remember?

• What would shift if you permitted yourself to travel with more ease?

• How might your energy, relationships, and memories change if you traveled from presence, not pressure?

• What would it feel like to create space for rest, awe, or mindful moments while you're away?

At the end of the episode, you’ll hear a touching story of a simple walk to pick up pizza that became a treasured moment—a beautiful reminder that presence is what makes memories magic.

If this conversation resonated with you, and you’re longing to move through life, work, or travel with more intention, consider reaching out to Jessie for coaching. Together, we can explore your path forward both at home and while traveling, with more clarity and ease.

If your team, department, or institution is looking to bring more mindfulness and wellbeing into how they live, work, and lead, reach out to Jessie for a talk and workshop. Connect with Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang and her beautiful work at www.awakenbreath.org.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

A deeply personal and inspiring episode that invites you to gently explore a question many of us were never taught to ask: What are you proud of—about yourself? 

In this heart-opening conversation, we share honest reflections on identity, humility, and the discomfort so many of us feel around owning our success. 

You’ll hear personal stories about pride, parenting, professional pivots, and the quiet courage it takes to celebrate yourself out loud.

You’ll also hear how this question has become a meaningful part of Jessie’s retreats and how it has changed lives, including her own.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Feeling proud is not the same as arrogance—it’s a practice of self-recognition and self-love that can shift everything from imposter syndrome to confidence.

• Many high achievers, especially women and physicians, have been conditioned to deflect compliments and downplay their accomplishments. When we choose to own our worth, we give others permission to do the same.

• Redefining success on your own terms allows for authenticity, joy, and a more aligned life—one not driven by ego, but by meaning and values.

• Celebrating our contributions—no matter how small—helps us show up brighter, more inspired, and more grounded in purpose.

• Pride often involves courage: moving practices, raising children, recovering from illness, creating businesses, setting boundaries, and choosing aligned paths all take intentional effort and bravery.

Reflection Questions:

• What are you proud of—about yourself?

• What’s your current definition of success, and does it reflect what you truly value?

• Is there something you need to let go of to define success on your own terms?

• What might shift if you stopped deflecting praise and began celebrating your contributions?

• What’s one thing you’ll commit to owning more fully going forward?

If this conversation resonates with you and you’re ready to explore your worth, voice, and purpose in a deeper way, consider joining Jessie for a retreat at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats or for coaching at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching.

These spaces are crafted for exactly this kind of transformation.

If you’d like to bring this conversation to your team or audience, We both offer speaking and workshops at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking. And www.awakenbreath.org.

*Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

In this reflective solocast, Dr. Ni-Cheng invites you to join her on a journey into the lives of two very special Bald Eagles—Jackie and Shadow—and their eaglets, high above Big Bear Lake, California. 

She shares both the magic of nature and powerful life lessons that resonate far beyond the treetops.

This episode is for anyone who:

• Loves wildlife or is fascinated by eagles

• Enjoys learning from real stories in nature

• Wants to reconnect with their authentic self

• Could use a gentle, heartfelt reminder to slow down and pay attention

You’ll hear:

• Fascinating backstory about the Bald Eagle's conservation comeback

• The unique behavior of Jackie, a rare eagle who stayed close to home

• Observations from this year’s nesting season, including the joys and heartbreaks of raising eaglets in the wild

• The whimsical antics of nocturnal visitors, Fiona and Fast Freddie (San Bernardino Flying Squirrels)

• Life lessons inspired by the patience, strength, and partnership of these majestic birds

Pearls of Wisdom

• Nature has much to teach—if we pause and pay attention.

• Parenting, even for eagles, involves trust, mistakes, love, and resilience.

• Slowing down, observing, and honoring natural rhythms can bring us wisdom and peace.

• Humor and whimsy are everywhere in the wild—yes, even squirrels in an eagle's nest!

• You can invite more nature into your life intentionally, in both big and small ways.

Reflection Questions

• What aspects of nature most captivate you?

• How can you bring more of the natural world into your daily environment?

• What lessons might nature be offering you right now?

Resources Mentioned:

Eagle Nest Cam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE

www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org

Tune in for stories, insight, and a little eagle-inspired magic. Nature is always nearby—you simply have to notice.

Move beyond consuming this amazing podcast. True change happens when you work with us - virtually and/or in-person.

Coach with Jessie - 1:1, in topic-focused small groups, or at a retreat. www.jessiemahoneymd.com

Work with both of us in person at The Mindful Healers Annual Retreat www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats

Hire one or both of us to speak or lead a workshop on any topic covered in the Mindful Healers Podcast. We also create team retreats, teach yoga, and offer experiential mindfulness for teams, groups, grand rounds, institutions, and conferences.

www.jessiemahoneymd.com/mindful-healers-podcast

www.awakenbreath.org 

www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking

*Nothing shared in the Mindful Healers Podcast is medical advice.