In this inspiring conversation, Darin sits down with Maya Raichoora, one of the UK’s leading experts in mental fitness, visualization, and high performance. From battling ulcerative colitis as a teenager to becoming Nike’s first-ever mental fitness trainer, Maya’s journey is proof that visualization isn’t just a concept, it’s a trainable skill that can transform health, resilience, and performance. Together, they dive into Maya’s five visualization techniques, the neuroscience behind them, and how anyone can reprogram their brain to unlock their highest potential.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

00:00 – Welcome to SuperLife and sponsor intro: Fatty15 and the science of C15
04:13 – Introducing Maya Raichoora: Nike’s first mental fitness trainer and founder of Remap Mental Fitness
04:56 – Maya’s story: battling ulcerative colitis at 15 and discovering visualization as a lifeline
06:38 – Why mental fitness is more than mindset — it’s a skill you can train daily
09:04 – Learning to create space between stimulus and response in everyday life
11:27 – Maya on insecurity, high achievement, and the pain of chronic illness
15:17 – The hospital moment that sparked Maya’s first visualization practice
16:49 – Why visualization works: rewiring the brain through imagery and repetition
18:15 – Life happens twice: how imagination shapes reality
22:19 – Building new “roads” in the brain: the neuroscience of visualization
25:55 – Common limiting beliefs and why responsibility matters
27:20 – Darin shares his own trauma, back pain, and rediscovering imprints
30:44 – Using visualization to transform trauma into growth
35:16 – Maya’s five visualization techniques explained: outcome, process, creative, negative, explorative
38:17 – Lemon exercise: why the brain can’t distinguish between real and imagined
41:23 – Negative visualization: Michael Phelps and the power of rehearsing worst-case scenarios
43:01 – Explorative visualization: how Einstein, Tesla, and Disney used imagination to innovate
46:42 – The role of mirror neurons: why what you watch and who you’re around rewires your brain
50:01 – Visualization vs manifestation: key differences and overlaps
55:17 – Why outcome visualization alone isn’t enough — and how to balance techniques
59:34 – Case study: helping a client quit smoking through negative visualization
01:01:03 – Maya’s personal favorite visualizations and creating her “avatar” self-image
01:04:04 – Why you’ll never outperform your self-image — and how to reshape it
01:07:29 – Healing through basics: whole foods, environment, boundaries, and mindset
01:12:00 – Final reflections: mental fitness as a daily practice of awareness and intention

Find more from Darin:

Website: https://darinolien.com/

Instagram: @Darinolien

Book: darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book/

Down to Earth: darinolien.com/down-to-earth/

Find More from Maya Raichoora:

Instagram: @maya.raichoora

Website: Remap Mental Fitness

Book: Visualize: Think, Feel, Perform Like the Top 1%

Don’t forget…

You can order now by heading to darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book or order now on Amazon.

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout.

Subscribe, rate or listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher 

Follow my Instagram to keep updated on the podcast, weekly deep dives and other projects that I’m supporting (and the occasional Chaga appreciation post)

Sign up for my Weekly Email to keep up with what I’m tuned into.

For feedback or suggestions, email my team at [email protected] 

Find the list of brands & products that get the big tick of approval from me here.

Comment below to join the discussion!