The Mindful Journey

What if our brains simply aren't wired for how fast change happens today? Host Swati talks with executive coach Dr. Marcia Ruben about why our nervous system craves certainty, and why staying present during change is a learnable skill. Marcia shares simple grounding techniques, like rubbing your fingers together or imagining roots into the ground, a stop-sign visualization for interrupting a spiraling thought, and why she recommends learning to live in the question instead of rushing toward an answer. About the Guest: Dr. Marcia Ruben is an executive coach and organizational consultant, and Professor Emerita at Golden Gate University. She is the author of The Neuroscience of Leadership, focused on how leaders navigate complex, emotionally charged change. Key Takeaways: Our brains crave certainty, which is part of why change can feel threatening. Simple grounding techniques, like rubbing your fingers together, bring you back to the present. Visualizing a stop sign can interrupt a spiraling or catastrophizing thought pattern. Recalling past evidence of what you've already handled can counter a spiral of self-doubt. You don't need the answer right away, you can learn to live in the question. Connect With Dr. Marcia Ruben: Website: leadershiptangles.com LinkedIn: Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC Episode Chapters: [00:00] Welcome to The Mindful Journey (approx.) [02:00] Meet Dr. Marcia Ruben (approx.) [06:00] Why Our Brains Crave Certainty (approx.) [15:00] Grounding Techniques for the Present Moment (approx.) [24:00] The Stop Sign: Interrupting a Spiral (approx.) [30:00] Learning to Live in the Question (approx.) [35:00] Where to Find Marcia (approx.) 🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? Send me a direct message on PodMatch. 👉 DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik 🌱 About Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Global Mental Wellness Podcast Network - focused, credible, no more identity clutter. 👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey. Refer a Guest Know someone who would be a great fit for one of our podcast shows? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows 🤝 Be a Guest 📩 Newsletter Substack 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community 📌 Disclaimer - This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements. If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #themindfuljourney #navigatingchange #neuroscience #mentalhealthpodcast #leadership #mindfulness #selfawareness #authorinterview #innerwork #grounding #uncertainty #personalgrowth

What if fighting your ego is exactly what keeps it in charge? Host Shridha talks with David Fiala about why making friends with the ego, rather than battling it, is the fastest way to quiet it down. David shares a self-forgiveness visualization for easing self-criticism, the idea of the observer, the part of you that watches your thoughts and isn't the thoughts themselves, and why kindness and gratitude are what actually calm the ego down. About the Guest: David Fiala is a licensed clinical social worker and author of The Courageous Seeker. He teaches that the ego is simply energy that identifies with the body, mind, and emotions, and that befriending it, rather than fighting it, is what dissolves its grip. Key Takeaways: What your mind believes isn't always true, most of the time it actually isn't. The ego isn't good or bad, it's just energy that identifies with thoughts. Making friends with the ego relaxes it faster than fighting it ever could. The observer watches your thoughts, but it isn't the thoughts themselves. Remembering a practice matters as much as learning it, information alone doesn't change anything. Connect With David Fiala: Website: mindyourego.com Book: The Courageous Seeker Episode Chapters: [00:00] Welcome to The Mindful Journey (approx.) [02:00] Meet David Fiala (approx.) [06:00] Why the Mind Isn't Always Right (approx.) [13:00] What the Ego Actually Is (approx.) [20:00] Befriending the Ego Instead of Fighting It (approx.) [27:00] The Observer: You Are Not Your Thoughts (approx.) [33:00] Where to Find David (approx.) 🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? Send me a direct message on PodMatch. 👉 DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik 🌱 About Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Global Mental Wellness Podcast Network - focused, credible, no more identity clutter. 👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey. Refer a Guest Know someone who would be a great fit for one of our podcast shows? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows 🤝 Be a Guest 📩 Newsletter Substack 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community 📌 Disclaimer - This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements. If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #themindfuljourney #egowork #selfforgiveness #mentalhealthpodcast #mindfulness #innerwork #consciousness #selfawareness #authorinterview #gratitude #innerpeace #consciousliving

What if the drive to achieve more is its own kind of addiction? Host Sana talks with trauma specialist Anu Verma about redefining success away from external validation and toward how you actually feel inside. Anu shares how childhood trauma can leave the nervous system stuck in fight, flight, or freeze, why running from problems rarely solves them, and why forgiving those who hurt her was about releasing weight she no longer wanted to carry. About the Guest: Anu Verma is a trauma specialist, author, and speaker, and the founder of Victim to Victor. She holds an MSc in Physiology and Health and postgraduate training in psychological traumatology, combining neuroscience with her own lived experience. Key Takeaways: Success looks different for everyone, there's no single right way to measure it. Achievement can become its own addiction, chasing wins because stopping feels unbearable. Childhood trauma can leave the nervous system stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. Forgiving someone is mainly about releasing weight you no longer have to carry. Self-love and self-acceptance often have to be learned, they don't always come naturally. Connect With Anu Verma: Website: https://victim2victor.net Social media: search Anu Verma or Victim2Victor (with the number 2) on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Book and podcast: Victim 2 Victor Links hub: linktr.ee/healing.journeyy ANu Verma on The Mindful Living Episode Chapters: [00:00] Welcome to The Mindful Journey (approx.) [02:00] Meet Anu Verma (approx.) [06:00] Redefining Success Beyond One Template (approx.) [14:00] When Achievement Becomes an Addiction (approx.) [22:00] Childhood Trauma and Nervous System Regulation (approx.) [30:00] Forgiveness as Releasing Weight, Not Excusing Harm (approx.) [36:00] Where to Find Anu (approx.) 🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? Send me a direct message on PodMatch. 👉 DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik 🌱 About Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Global Mental Wellness Podcast Network - focused, credible, no more identity clutter. 👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey. Refer a Guest Know someone who would be a great fit for one of our podcast shows? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows 🤝 Be a Guest 📩 Newsletter Substack 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community 📌 Disclaimer - This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements. If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #themindfuljourney #achievementaddiction #redefiningsuccess #traumahealing #nervoussystemregulation #mentalhealthpodcast #selflove #forgiveness #authorinterview #innerwork #victim2victor #personalgrowth

There's a voice inside you that speaks before your thoughts fully form, a pull toward certain choices logic can't explain. Most of us have felt it, and most of us second-guess it. On this episode of The Mindful Journey, intuitive and author Katharine Giovanni shares how she learned to trust that quiet inner voice, including one decision that may have saved her life. About the Guest: Katharine Giovanni spent decades in customer service and concierge training before intuition became her full focus. She is the author of The Little Bird on Your Shoulder, and has been cancer-free since 2012. Key Takeaways: Intuition isn't reserved for "special" people. Everyone senses it through feeling, seeing, hearing, or simply knowing. The loudest voice in your head usually isn't the true one. Your intuition is usually the quietest. Intuition doesn't have to be dramatic. Sometimes it's as small as "go make tea." Blind faith means trusting the message even without the why. The reason often comes later. Anger and fear can block your intuition. Clearing them, even slowly, helps you hear it again. Connect With the Guest: Website: https://katharinegiovanni.com Book: The Ultimate Path to Forgiveness: Unlocking Your Power (available on Amazon) Episode Chapters: [05:45] Cold open: the voice inside you that speaks before your thoughts form [07:35] The biggest myth about intuition: it's not just for "psychic" people [09:00] The four ways intuition speaks: feel it, see it, hear it, know it [15:06] The World Trade Center story: when blind faith saved her life [19:42] A simple pen-and-paper exercise to hear your own intuition [24:12] What elephants knew before a tsunami hit [27:04] The jog she didn't want to take, and the lump it helped her find 🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? Send me a direct message on PodMatch. 👉 DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik 🌱 About Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Global Mental Wellness Podcast Network - focused, credible, no more identity clutter. 👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey. Refer a Guest Know someone who would be a great fit for one of our podcast shows? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows 🤝 Be a Guest 📩 Newsletter Substack 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community 📌 Disclaimer - This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements. If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #trustyourintuition #themindfuljourney #intuitivehealing #innerknowing #innervoice #intuitioncoach #selfawareness #forgivenesscoaching #innerwisdom #mindfulliving #survivorstory #blindfaith

Nearly thirty years as a certified accountant and business finance coach doesn't sound like the origin story for someone called the Busy Woman's Cheerleader. But for Cindy Rand, the two chapters of her life, finance and faith-driven service, were never actually separate. In this episode of The Mindful Journey, host Sana talks with Cindy Rand about surviving domestic abuse and homelessness, why busyness and productivity aren't the same thing, and why serving others sustainably means refusing to run yourself into the ground to do it. About the Guest: Cindy Rand, known as the Busy Woman's Cheerleader, spent nearly thirty years as a certified accountant and business finance coach before becoming a holistic wellness and leadership coach. She is a published author, humanitarian, and serial entrepreneur who built her Thrive 360 approach, covering mind, body, spirit, and finances, out of her own experience surviving domestic abuse and homelessness. Key Takeaways: Your circumstances, where you live, your bank account, who you know, don't determine your self-worth, even when you're in survival mode. Being busy and being productive aren't the same thing, purpose-driven action moves you forward, constant motion for its own sake just burns you out. Serving others sustainably still requires self-care, pouring from an empty tank isn't generous, it's unsustainable. Safety, financial, emotional, and psychological, is described as underrated but foundational for anyone trying to balance ambition with wellbeing. Two seemingly opposite backgrounds, decades in finance and a faith-driven history of service, can be woven together rather than treated as competing paths. It's okay to say no, to pause, and to protect your own capacity before you run out of it entirely. Connect With the Guest: Website: https://www.thecindyrand.com Podcast: Complete Wellness with Cindy, The Busy Woman's Cheerleader (available on major podcast platforms) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busywomanscheerleader Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/busywomanscheerleader Email: [email protected] Episode Chapters: [00:00] Welcoming Cindy and Introducing the Busy Woman's Cheerleader (approx.) [03:00] From Domestic Abuse and Homelessness to a Thirty-Year Finance Career (approx.) [08:00] Why Your Circumstances Don't Define Your Self-Worth (approx.) [13:00] Busy Versus Productive: The Misconception Behind Burnout (approx.) [18:00] Weaving Finance and Faith Into the Thrive 360 Approach (approx.) [23:00] Permission to Say No and Protect Your Own Capacity (approx.) [26:00] Closing Thought: Stop Grinding, Align With Purpose (approx.) 🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? Send me a direct message on PodMatch. 👉 DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik 🌱 About Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Global Mental Wellness Podcast Network - focused, credible, no more identity clutter. 👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey. Refer a Guest Know someone who would be a great fit for one of our podcast shows? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows 🤝 Be a Guest 📩 Newsletter Substack 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community 📌 Disclaimer - This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements. If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #mindfuljourney #busywomanscheerleader #thrive360 #womenandburnout #selfcareisntselfish #financialwellness #overcomingadversity #holisticwellness #purposeoverhustle #domesticabuseawareness #womensempowerment #resilience