"The brain has a negativity bias, it looks for things that are wrong rather right and so we need to consciously look for what's going right"- Eileen Laird

Today's guest is Eileen Laird, a Writer, Podcast Host and Autoimmune Warrior living a vital life with rheumatoid arthritis. She's reached millions of people through her popular website and podcast, Phoenix Helix, where she shares information and inspiration for autoimmune health. The name of her website is a symbol of hope. The phoenix is the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes. The helix represents the spiral of our genetics and epigenetics-those factors that influence our genes. We are more than our DNA, and our choices can have a powerful impact on our health.

In this episode, Eileen and I discuss her new book, Healing Mindset: A Guide to the Mind-Body Connection for People with Autoimmune Disease. Eileen shares with us powerful techniques from her personal experience and research to regulate emotions, manage stress and empower positive thoughts when living with autoimmune disease. We also discuss the benefits of the mind-body connection, the power of gratitude, what is a digital detox, embracing imperfection and so much more!

For more go to: https://holisticeducatoracademy.com/

Check out Eileen Laird's website: https://www.phoenixhelix.com/

Read Eileen Laird's new book: Healing Mindset: A Guide to Mind-Body Connection for People with Autoimmune Disease

For us to function at our best, we need to feel healthy both physically, mentally and emotionally. Although we are often comfortable talking about any physical wellbeing we may have, we often shun from discussing our mental and emotional wellbeing. Many times this comes from societal beliefs and stigma around mental and emotional health. As a result, many Muslims are suffering in silence because of the fear of being judged and shamed. Although this is now slowly changing, there's still a lot more work to be done to deconstruct the stigma around mental health, depression and anxiety. 

In today's episode, I discuss three key areas we need to work on to overcome and gradually heal from depression and anxiety
(1) Our thoughts
(2) Our activities
(3) Our support system
 
I share strategies that have worked for me to overcome depression when I started working on these key areas:
• Finding Solace in the Quran
• Morning ritual (prayers, morning adhkar, exercising)
• Daily Activities Diary
• Sensory Awareness exercises to interrupt depressive thoughts 
• Engaging in activities we enjoy outside the problem
• Stop putting all eggs in one basket
• Becoming empowered through support systems that have gone through  similar experiences

Some useful resources for the morning ritual:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Brp_esIVI
https://mydua.me/

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

Healing the Mind, Body and Soul with Nature Therapy: The importance of serving from a full cup for Muslim Women w/Firdous AlHaddad EP7 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1828656/episodes/9468939

The Mind Body Soul Connection Inside Out Approach: A Personal Spiritual Cellular Awakening EP 3
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1828656/episodes/9041915

Showing Up: How to Take Back our Power and Stop Self Sabotage w/Hamidah Dahir EP 12
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1828656/episodes/10117

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 "You can choose courage or you can choose comfort. You cannot have both"  Brene Brown

Fear is one of the emotional response that is keeping many of us from attaining the goals and life we want! But the truth is fear will never go away and being courageous does not mean the absence of fear but finding a way through it.

In today's episode, I discuss how we can use fear to our advantage and transform it into unbreakable faith from an Islamic perspective. I reflect on lessons from the story of Musa (A.S) in the Quran and relate it to our own lives. I also share techniques that have supported me in overcoming my own fears including identifying the fear, having non-negotiable goals, using insights from pain as fuel, visualisation and so much more!

If you constantly find yourself worrying about what will happen if you take an action and often feel stuck because of this fear, then this episode is a MUST listen!

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/

  "Everyone was so peaceful, so calm, so collected. They looked like people that had it figured out. They knew the key to controlling themselves, to controlling their desires, having trust in God..." Aisha Rosalie

In today's episode, my guest Aisha Rosalie who is a Content Creator and my friend shares with us her journey of becoming a Muslim and finding tranquillity.  She shares her story of how visiting the Blue Mosque, reading the Quran and learning about Islam on YouTube and Google during COVID-19 pandemic led her to taking her Shahadah. She also shares some powerful techniques of learning about Islam for anyone who wants to learn more about Islam whether born Muslim, revert or considering Islam and want to learn more.

We also discuss the importance of taking the leap of faith which applies to everything in our lives and so much more!

Its a MUST listen for those who are interested in Islam and been wondering what the journey is like for a revert. Aisha's story is unique as everything happened in isolation while in lockdown but I'm sure you'll find some powerful gems to support you through this transition. Even if you are a born Muslim, I'm sure you'll get some powerful gems In Sha Allah!


Check out Aisha's work: 
https://www.youtube.com/c/AishaRosalie

To register for Muslimah Turkey retreat (UK only): https://holisticeducatoracademy.com/events/pre-ramadhan-spiritual-rejuvenation-turkey-retreat-istanbul-cappadocia/

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/

    "I knew I had played that victimhood for so long and it just kept me where I was.  For me to move on, for me to grow I had to see beyond what I had been through"- Hamida Dahir

We've all heard of the phrase 'Showing Up for Ourselves'. But what does the phrase really mean? And how do we do this?

In today's episode, my guest Hamidah Dahir, a Life Coach and a Youth Worker and I deep dive into this topic and share insights on how to make choices that honour our spiritual, emotional, mental and physical needs as they arise. Hamidah shares with us the journey she underwent to overcome victimhood, showing up for herself and transforming to becoming the life coach she is today.

We also discuss how to unapologetically love and take care of ourselves, listening to what our body and soul is telling us, trusting ourselves to make decisions that serve us even if the world is telling us otherwise and so much more!

This is a beacon of hope and reiterates that healing and transformation begins from the INSIDE and the BEST project you will EVER WORK ON is YOU! BUT what price are you willing to PAY?

Its a MUST listen if you feel your life is NOT aligning with who you really are and where you want to be or are in the middle of a rough terrain. Even if you are catching your breath to prepare for the next season or preparing to SOAR like NEVER BEFORE, this episode is for YOU!

Its time to Shine, Glow, Step Up and Show Up for OURSELVES!

Check out Hamidah's work: 
https://magribcoaching.wordpress.com/

Connect with Hamidah
@maghrib_coaching

To register for Muslimah Turkey retreat (UK only): https://holisticeducatoracademy.com/events/pre-ramadhan-spiritual-rejuvenation-turkey-retreat-istanbul-cappadocia/

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/

"Your thoughts are like the artist's brush. They create a personal picture of the reality you live" -  Sydney Banks

Our thoughts create our feelings and reality. So in order to attain the life we want, we need to understand how we can use this powerful asset we have to create the life we want.

So today's episode is a solo round with me where I discuss how we can use the Law of Attraction, Visualisation and Vision Boards using Islamic Techniques and share personal accounts of how applying this concept has changed my life. I also talk about strategies that will support us to be in a beautiful state all the time and enable us protect our inner world no matter what is going on in our outside world, how we can use this powerful tool to achieve our 2022 goals and so much more!

This is a MUST listen to anyone who wants to optimise their opportunities to achieve the goals and the life you want in 2022 In Sha Allah!

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/

        "A journey of thousand miles starts with a single step"- Saida Ahmed Rashid


No one goes into a marriage imagining that they will experience physical and mental torture leading to the detriment of their mental and physical health and even making them to contemplate ending their own life. Yet this is the case for many women in our Ummah suffering in silence because of the incorrect connotation of 'sabr' stemming from our cultures and not Islam.

As a result, many Muslim women continue to stay in physically and mentally abusive marriages just to please society and for the children as they are told! Often, this leads to more damage and trauma to the children. But it does not have to be this way anymore!

My guest today is Saida Ahmed Rashid, an activist against Gender-Based Violence and an Ambassador in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS within the Muslim community. Saida has also had her own share of painful experiences and trauma including physical and mental torture in marriage and going through the pain of divorce TWICE!

In this episode Saida shares with us her story and how she overcame the adversity of experiencing divorce twice, transforming her pain into power and finding COURAGE to love again and give marriage a THIRD chance!

We also share strategies and techniques that helped us heal from the complex emotions experienced during the divorce process, discuss the importance of fixing our inside first using the inside-out paradigm so the outside can change, completely trusting Allah's plan and understanding there is wisdom in everything, why being complacent with abuse for the sake of children is more destructive, the power of letting go and so much more!

This is a beacon of hope and reiterates that its NOT what happens to us but how we INTERPRET  and WHAT WE DO WITH IT that makes the DIFFERENCE! 
Its a MUST listen if you or someone you know is navigating through a complex marriage and contemplating what to do or experiencing the pain of divorce and wondering whether you will EVER find courage to love again! Even if you are not going through divorce, there are a lot of powerful nuggets to learn and take action where you see injustice. 
No matter what you have come through, with Tawakkal and Optimism, there is ALWAYS HOPE for each one of us!

Check out Saida's work: 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ZCRufvnSeKkRoz81YimsA

Connect with Saida
@saidaahmedrashid
https://www.facebook.com/saida.bintirashid

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/

"We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change" -  Sheryl Sandberg

For our situations to change, we need to be willing to take an honest look at ourselves and become aware of our patterns and our role in the problem. It is only when we become self-aware that we are able to break destructive habits.

So today's episode is a solo round with me where I discuss why Self Awareness is the 'Antidote' for destructive habits and a tool for strengthening the 'Take Action Muscle' to create the life we want. I share a personal experience of how becoming self-aware about my role in the problem while I worked in a toxic work environment became my catalyst enabling me to get myself off my nail and changing my situation. I also highlight some deep questions for us to reflect on so we can transcend from the victim mentality to victor mindset and so much more! 

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/

                           "Loving ourselves is not a choice" - Khadija Mohamud

When I was younger, I always wondered what was it that the people I looked up to did differently that made them stand out and be the successful people they were. When I talk about success, I mean the success of this dunya and the akhirah! I knew I wanted to become like them so I spent a decade of my life understanding and learning the mindset and habits the people I looked up to had that accelerated their lives into the fulfilling lives they had. 

So today's episode is a solo round with me where I discuss the life lessons and habits I learnt that transformed my life into ultra productivity.  I talk about how I strengthened my 'faith muscle and overcoming the fear of uncertainty and failure', how I learnt to manage emotions, how I built my 'take action muscle', 'self discipline muscle', learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, the power of community, self love and care is not a choice. I also discuss the strategies I recommend for thriving and living a fulfilling life In Sha Allah regardless of who you are and where you are at in your life and so much more! 

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/

 "Even if you believe your child comes first, how can you give them something that you don't have anymore?"  -  Firdous AlHaddad

A growing number of research studies have illustrated how being in nature helps reduce stress, anxiety and promotes good mental and physical health wellbeing. One study conducted in Japan and China in 2017 on cancer patients who immersed themselves in nature for a prolonged period, a process known as 'forest bathing' found that being in nature enhanced their anti-cancer proteins and eventually enabled them to heal from their ailment (Hansen et al., 2017). Another study conducted in the UK in 2019 on a group of 20,000 people with half of the group spending two hours  a week in greenspaces (spread out or in one go)  and the other half were not indicated that those who spent the two hours in nature improved their mental and physical health wellbeing (White et al., 2019). Greater exposure to nature is not only associated with improved mental and physical health wellbeing in research, but many people myself included and my guest today have had personal experience of the healing benefits of nature therapy!

My guest today is Firdous AlHaddad, a Muslim Nature Adventurer who hikes and explores nature with her five children and a fellow dendrophile. A dendrophile is a person who loves trees.

In this episode, Firdaus shares her journey of becoming a nature enthusiast and dendrophile and her experience of hiking and nature adventures with five children. She also discusses her experience of motherhood and shares techniques that helped her to heal from postpartum 'baby blues' and tips that continue to help her refuel and fill her cup to enable her serve her family at her best version.

This is a must listen if you are a mother or planning to be one soon In Sha Allah. Even if you are not a mother, there are a lot of powerful nuggets that will help prepare you for that journey when you become one In Sha Allah!

Checkout  Firdaus and her children's adventures https://www.facebook.com/muslim.nature.adventure/
@muslim.nature.adventure

For more go to: https://linktr.ee/theholistic_educator

To join our Facebook community: https://m.facebook.com/groups/529121228533666/