What does self-love truly mean according to ancient wisdom and how can we practice it in modern life?

In this episode of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, we explore the timeless teachings of the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita and how they guide us toward self-awareness, emotional balance, mindfulness, and inner alignment.

I’m joined by Neha, yoga teacher, wellness coach, and founder of Soul Lumos, who blends ancient yogic philosophy with modern mindfulness and breathwork practices to help individuals cultivate self-compassion, emotional regulation, and intentional living - both on and off the mat.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita are (beginner-friendly explanation)
• How yogic philosophy reframes self-love as awareness, not ego
• A powerful Yoga Sutra and Gita verse for emotional balance
• How mindfulness and breathwork help regulate stress and overwhelm
• Practical ways to apply ancient wisdom to daily life

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in yoga philosophy, mindfulness, self-love, emotional wellbeing, and ancient wisdom for modern living.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly conversations on wellness, mindfulness, leadership, and intentional living. Instagram: @mindspacewithshal @letstalkwellnesswithshal. Website: www.mindspacejourney.org

🔗Connect with Neha (Soul Lumos):
 Instagram: @soulumos
 Website: https://www.soulumos.com

Anxiety and chronic stress aren’t just mental; they’re rooted in your nervous system. In this episode, neuroscientist Dr. Abha Rajbhandari explains how the vagus nerve, brain–body connection, and nervous system regulation shape anxiety, healing, and wellbeing. 

In Episode 43 of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, I’m joined by Dr. Abha Rajbhandari, neuroscientist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. With research expertise in fear, stress, anxiety, and the vagus nerve, Dr. Rajbhandari bridges cutting-edge neuroscience with ancient wisdom rooted in Yoga and Vedanta to explore holistic healing.

We explore how the brain and body communicate during stress and how this understanding can transform mental health, emotional regulation, and overall wellbeing.

This conversation will deepen your understanding of anxiety, trauma, and mind-body healing through both science and spirituality.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How the brain–body connection shapes stress, anxiety, and healing
 • What the vagus nerve actually does and why it’s central to nervous system regulation
 • Sympathetic vs. parasympathetic balance and its impact on burnout and chronic stress
 • The neuroscience of fear, trauma, and how fear is stored and healed
 • How neuroscience and spirituality intersect in mental health and wellbeing
 • Yoga beyond the mat: applying yogic principles to everyday emotional health
 • Simple, science-backed tools to regulate the nervous system and improve mental wellbeing

Whether you’re experiencing anxiety, chronic stress, burnout, trauma, or seeking evidence-based tools for nervous system regulation and holistic mental health—this episode is for you.

🎧 Watch & Listen: YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts - Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, Instagram: @mindspacewithshal, @letstalkwellnesswithshal
Website: www.mindspacejourney.org

More about Dr. Abha Rajbhandari: Instagram: @neurobreathe, https://www.neurochetana.com/

#vagusnerve #nervoussystemregulation #mindbodyconnection #anxietyhealing #mentalhealthpodcast #neuroscienceandwellness #traumainformed #stressmanagement #holistichealing #yogascience #brainbodyconnection #wellbeingpodcast

What if discovering your purpose could transform your energy, health, and the way you live, at any stage of life?

In Episode 42 of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, I’m joined by David Marlow, widely known as The Ikigai Guy. After 30 years as a senior executive, David made a bold pivot toward purpose-driven living, and at age 64, he wrote his first book, The Ikigai Way, proving that reinvention has no expiration date.

In this episode, we explore how Ikigai, mindset, identity, and daily habits intersect to create a life of clarity, fulfillment, and wellbeing.

💥This conversation will reframe how you think about success, aging, and purpose.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What Ikigai really means beyond the popular Venn diagram
• How to uncover your purpose with clarity and intention
• Why it’s never too late to reinvent yourself
• Common purpose blockers like burnout, overwhelm, and fear
• How purpose impacts health, energy, leadership, and wellbeing
• Aligning who you are with what you do - personally and professionally

Whether you’re navigating a career transition, midlife reinvention, burnout, or simply asking “What’s next for me?” — this episode is for you.

🎧 Watch & Listen:
📺 YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts: Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal

What if wellness isn’t just about what’s on your plate, but about how you live, breathe, and connect each day?

In this episode of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, I draw parallels between my teachings as a Yoga instructor and an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, exploring how yoga philosophy and holistic nutrition both guide us toward balance, awareness, and nourishment beyond food.

Inspired by the principles of Patanjali’s yoga sutras and IIN’s concept of Primary and Secondary Foods, this conversation is an invitation to live your yoga off the mat, through intention, mindful eating, self-study, and compassion in action.

In this episode, you’ll explore:
✨ Morning rituals rooted in Sankalpa — intention and self-connection
🌸 Mindful eating through Ahimsa (non-harm) and gratitude
🌿 Listening to your body with Svadhyaya (self-study) and bio-individuality
💫 Replacing harsh inner dialogue with truth (Satya) and self-compassion
🌙 Evening reflection inspired by Pratyahara, turning inward

Every choice, every pause, every breath becomes a form of yoga — and a moment of nourishment for your mind, body, and spirit.

This episode is for anyone seeking a more mindful, balanced, and intentional approach to wellness, rooted in awareness, not perfection.

🎧 Listen now: EP41 – Mindful Living: The Yoga of Everyday Choices & Nourishment Beyond Food
📺 YouTube | 🎧 Spotify & Apple: Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal
Connect and follow me on IG @mindspacewithshal

#LetsTalkWellnessWithShal #MindfulLiving #YogaOffTheMat #IntegrativeNutrition #IINHealthCoach #HolisticHealth #PrimaryFoods #SecondaryFoods #YogaPhilosophy #MindfulEating #SelfAwareness  #WellnessJourney

🌿 EP40: The Power of Pause – Guided Gratitude Meditation

What if the peace you’re searching for isn’t somewhere “out there” but already within you—waiting beneath the noise of daily life?

In this special solo episode of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, I guide you through a short, gratitude meditation, inspired by Patanjali’s sutra: “Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ”—yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.

When I started this podcast less than a year ago, I never imagined we’d reach over 1,200 subscribers. That growth is a testament to the power of pausing, reflecting, and creating space for gratitude, and I’m so thankful you’re here.

💛 In this guided practice, you’ll experience:
 ✨ The calming of the mind’s endless waves
 🌸 A gentle return to presence through the breath
 🌿 Simple ways to cultivate daily gratitude for yourself, others, and life itself
 💫 The deep renewal that comes from slowing down

This episode is for anyone craving stillness, clarity, and a reminder of the abundance already around them.

🎧 Listen now: EP40 – The Power of Pause: Guided Gratitude Meditation
📺 YouTube | 🎧 Spotify & Apple: Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal
#LetsTalkWellnessWithShal #GratitudeMeditation #GuidedMeditation #StillnessPractice #YogaSutra #MindfulnessTools #PauseAndReflect #InnerPeaceJourney #CalmMindOpenHeart #GratitudePractice

What if your chronic symptoms weren’t just physical—but a reflection of unresolved emotions, stored trauma, and a nervous system stuck in survival?

In this deeply insightful episode of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, I sit down with Dr. Elisha Cicirelli  (IG@bravelytogether, bravelytogether.com) scientist-turned-healing guide, to explore how grief, trauma, and emotional suppression can silently shape our health—even years after the event.

After navigating her own health spiral with MCAS and autoimmunity, Elisha discovered that healing didn’t come from more supplements—it came from understanding how the nervous system protects, stores, and ultimately heals.

💥 This episode will shift how you see symptoms—not as failures, but as signals.

🧠 We discuss:

✨ How trauma, grief, and stress create chronic dysregulation in the body
 🔥 Why some people don’t heal until they address emotional and nervous system overload
 🚨 How fight/flight/freeze responses manifest in real-life chronic symptoms
 🌿 Simple, daily tools to move from survival into safety and self-regulation
 💫 What healing actually looks like—from the inside out

This conversation is for anyone living with chronic illness, emotional exhaustion, or simply wondering: What’s my body trying to say?

🎧 Watch/Listen now
 📺 YouTube | 🎧 Spotify & Apple: Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal

 #LetsTalkWellnessWithShal #MCAS #AutoimmuneHealing #NervousSystemRegulation #StoredTrauma #GriefAndHealing #SomaticHealing #ChronicIllnessSupport #BravelyTogether #LiveBravely #MindBodyConnection #TraumaInformedHealing #EmotionalResilience #HealingIsPossible

What happens when you stop chasing quick fixes and start trusting your body again?

In this empowering episode of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal, we sit down with Kate Ann, founder of KateAnnFit and the go-to coach for women over 30 who are done with crash dieting, burnout, and the endless cycle of “starting over.”

Kate’s refreshingly honest and anti-extremes approach is a game-changer for women juggling ADHD, anxiety, depression—or simply feeling stuck in guilt-driven fitness culture. Her coaching isn’t about rigid rules; it’s about rebuilding self-trust, creating routines that actually fit your life, and finding peace with food and your body again.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who's ever felt like they were never doing enough. Kate reminds us that healing begins when we stop waiting for the “perfect time” and start choosing ourselves—today.

🚀 Key Takeaways:
✨ Why most women don’t need another diet—they need a better way forward
🧠 How ADHD, anxiety & mental health impact consistency (and what actually works)
🥗 The power of small, sustainable shifts vs all-or-nothing thinking
💪 Reframing movement and nutrition from punishment to self-care
🌿 Letting go of guilt and learning to trust your body again
💞 What true resiliency and self-compassion look like in wellness

💚 If you’re ready to get off the rollercoaster and into a rhythm that feels good, this episode is for you.

🔗 Watch now & join the conversation!
🎥 Full episode: www.youtube.com/@letstalkwellnesswithshal

✅ Like & Comment – What does balanced wellness mean to you?
🔔 Subscribe for more honest, healing conversations.

Follow Kate for more: @kateannfit
Follow Me & Subscribe:
🌎 Website: https://mindspacejourney.org/podcast
📸 Instagram: @letstalkwellnesswithshal
🎧 YouTube | Apple | Spotify: Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal

#LetsTalkWellnessWithShal #FoodFreedom #FitnessForRealLife #HolisticHealth #ADHDAwareness #BodyTrust #SustainableWellness #AntiDietCulture #ResilientLiving #WomenOver30Wellness #KateAnnFit

🌍✨ Your Voice, Your Story – Join the Wellness Movement! ✨🌿
May – June 2025 | Global Wellness Milestones Series

Excited to share the last conversation in the Mind Space short series honoring Global Wellness Milestones in May and June.

🎙️ Ageless & Fierce Over 60: Healing Through Energy and Spirit
with Catherine Grace O’ Collenn, Reiki Master, Founder of Forever Fierce Media & Champion of Ageless Living

Catherine’s journey is one of fierce resilience. After tearing ligaments post-pregnancy and later losing a baby, her path to healing began through The Spiritual Solution to Every Problem by Wayne Dyer. That book sparked a deep dive into energy healing, mysticism, and self-discovery.

She faced Lyme disease and a near-death experience—but through Reiki, meditation, and inner work, she healed herself. Today, Catherine is a force at 64, redefining aging and helping women master midlife with power and purpose.

💫 Wellness Wisdom:

Healing is an inside job.

Age is not a limit—it's a superpower.

You are the healer you've been waiting for.

🔥 Topic Spotlight:
Spiritual Healing, Energy Work & Fierce Midlife Reinvention

🎧 Tune in to EP37 of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal:
📺 YouTube: @letstalkwellnesswithshal
🎧 Spotify & Apple Podcasts: Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal

IG: @letstalkwellnesswithshal | @catherinegraceo

📅 Global Wellness Days:
🧘 May 21 – Meditation Day | 🌱 June 14 – Wellness Day
🧘 June 21 – Yoga Day | 💙 Late June – Well-being Week

Let’s keep healing, rising, and rewriting the rules—one fierce midlife story at a time. 🌟

#MindSpaceJourney #YourVoiceYourStory #AgelessLiving #MasteringMidlife #ReikiHealing #EnergyMedicine #FierceOver60 #ForeverFierce #WayneDyerWisdom #LetsTalkWellness #RadicalResilience #WellbeingWeek #HealingTogether #SpiritualHealing

Released in honor of International Yoga Day, this episode invites you to explore yoga beyond the poses—as a way of living with intention, presence, and inner alignment. I share my own journey of discovering yoga while navigating tech leadership and motherhood, and how the deeper teachings of yoga—the 8-limb path including Yamas, Niyamas, Pranayama, and Dhyana—can guide us daily.

We also explore:
 🧘🏽‍♀️ How to use guided breath practice to shift from stress to calm
 🌿 The power of mindful transitions between roles
 💬 Living your values off the mat
 💛 Building connection through intentional presence

And… we’re celebrating a milestone! 🎉
 1K YouTube subscribers + 500+ podcast downloads on Spotify and counting!
Thank you for supporting me and being part of this wellness journey. 🌍✨

#LetsTalkWellnessWithShal #InternationalYogaDay #YogaBeyondTheMat #MindSpaceJourney #HolisticLiving #Breathwork #IntentionalLiving #YogaEveryday #WomenInWellness

🌍✨ Your Voice, Your Story – Join the Wellness Movement! ✨🌿
 May – June 2025 | Global Wellness Milestones Series

I’m honored to introduce the next short interview in the Mind Space short series celebrating Global Wellness Milestones:

🎙️ Burnout to Breakthrough: Healing for Parents of Neurodivergent Children
with Ellen, Owner and Master Health & Wellness Coach at Creekside Health Coaching LLC

Meet our next guest, a passionate wellness coach and mother of three, who turned her personal burnout into a beacon of hope for others. Ellen threw herself into career and motherhood, but as stress mounted and health declined, she hit a turning point. With all three of her children later diagnosed as neurodivergent, she faced layers of pressure, ultimately leading to anxiety, burnout, and weight gain.

Her healing began when she chose herself—seeking support, learning to ask for help, and prioritizing self-care. Now, Ellen empowers other parents and professionals who support neurodivergent youth to reclaim their wellness, one mindful step at a time.

💫 Wellness Wisdom:

• Healing starts with recognizing you can’t pour from an empty cup.
• Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s strength.
• Burnout recovery requires grace, time, and community.
• Her powerful reminder: "You are not alone—it truly takes a village to raise a family and take care of yourself."

🔥 Topic Spotlight:
Burnout Recovery & Wellness for Parents of Neurodivergent Children
Her story is a call to all caregivers to put themselves back on their priority list and take back their peace and purpose.

🎧 Tune in to EP35 of Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal—now streaming on:
📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@letstalkwellnesswithshal
🎧 Apple & Spotify Podcasts (search: Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal)

IG: @letstalkwellnesswithshal, creekside_health_coaching

📅 Global Wellness Days We Celebrate:
🧘‍♀️ May 21 – World Meditation Day
🌱 June 14 – Global Wellness Day
🧘 June 21 – International Yoga Day
💙 Last week of June – World Well-being Week

Let’s continue creating space for healing, daily nourishment, and inspired resilience—one story at a time. 🌱💫

#MindSpaceJourney #YourVoiceYourStory #ParentingNeurodivergence #BurnoutToBalance #CaregiverSupport #WellnessForMoms #MindBodyHealing #CreeksideHealth #LetsTalkWellness #HealingTogether #VillageSupport #ResilientParents #GlobalWellness #WellbeingWarrior #MentalHealthMatters #LetsTalkWithShal #MindBodyResilience