On this episode of The Mindful Journey with host Sana, Cyndee Dhalai unpacks what mindfulness actually looks like when life does not get better on cue. Rejected by family for marrying the person she chose, told she should have died instead of a loved one, flatlined multiple times, allergic to almost every medication, and spending over a decade in a wheelchair. Cyndee has lived the kind of story people label a miracle from the outside. Inside, it has been a long grind of pain, faith, and radical honesty.

This conversation gets under the surface of mental health, grief, chronic illness, and self worth. Cyndee breaks down how to stop letting your past run your mind in the present, how to find genuine meaning when your body will not cooperate, and why mindfulness is less about pretty mantras and more about catching your own thoughts before they drag you back into the dark. This is a grounded, no fluff listen for anyone navigating family rejection, long term illness, or the quiet fear that their life will never “bounce back.”

Cyndee Dhalai is a former teacher, poet, and author who has lived through severe illness, repeated medical trauma, long term disability, and devastating loss. Disowned by family, confined to a wheelchair for more than a decade, and told she would never walk again, she slowly rebuilt her life from the inside out. She writes raw poetry about pain, faith, and grief, and publishes under a pen name when the truth is too heavy to carry under her own. Cyndee’s work focuses on self worth, spiritual grounding, and practical mindfulness for people who are in the middle of real struggle, not a highlight reel.

Her books include “Pieces of Me Touch My Soul” and “Grief Is a Price You Pay for Love” (by Faialian) on Amazon.

Mindfulness is not escape, it is interruption. For Cyndee, mindfulness is catching the moment when her mind starts replaying old rejection or pain, then choosing a different thought path instead of letting the story run her life.

Rejection does not define your worth. Being disowned and criticized from childhood taught her that other people’s discomfort with her choices is not proof that she is wrong or broken. It is proof of their conditioning.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is how long we stare at it. Chronic illness and grief still hurt every day. What has shifted is the focus. The more she fixates on pain, the bigger it becomes. When she looks for small advantages in a hard situation, her nervous system and perspective change.

You are allowed to grieve the life you lost and still build a new one. Cyndee did not pretend everything was fine. She named resentment, fear, and anger, then slowly experimented with new ways to live, teach, create, and support others from a different body and rhythm.

Self talk is not fluff. It is programming. Saying “I am unloved” or “nothing ever works for me” reinforces a mental script. Saying “I am here, I have survived this far, I have value” rewires identity over time.

Mindfulness starts with valuing yourself as you are today. Not as successful as someone else, not as healthy, not as fast. You still have the right to be here, to try, to fail, to learn, and to keep walking your own path.

Listeners can connect with Cyndee Dhalai here.

LinkedIn: She is active on LinkedIn

Books on Amazon:

Pieces of Me Touch My Soul poetry on faith, pain, and resilience

Grief Is a Price You Pay for Love by Faye Allian Cyndee’s pen name for writing about grief

Email: [email protected]

Reach out to share your story, reflections on grief and mindfulness, or to connect around her writing and speaking.

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Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer.

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