Grief as Proof of Love: Processing Loss Through Writing With Niki J Borger

Making Sense of Purpose: Why You Must Know Yourself First With Suneet Bhatt

Most of us go looking for purpose out there, in the next role, the next achievement, the next version of ourselves. But what if it was never out there at all? Suneet Bhatt, who teaches purpose at Rutgers University and wrote Making Sense of Purpose, joins Sana to make a quiet but radical case: before you can make sense of your purpose, you have to make sense of yourself. No gurus, no five-step checklist, just a steady light for the path. ABOUT THE GUEST: Suneet Bhatt teaches purpose at Rutgers University and is the founder of My Authentic Story. He is the author of Making Sense of Purpose, a book built on a three-step roadmap of gaining clarity, building momentum, and finding your Kiran, the Sanskrit word for ray of light. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Purpose isn't singular or reserved for the extraordinary. It's accessible, and found through experimentation rather than a single pursuit. * Chasing titles, income, or achievement without self-awareness is like grocery shopping while hungry. You'll make decisions from scarcity, not clarity. * Happiness isn't a reward for success, it's a precursor to it. Naming what makes you happy first changes how you handle setbacks later. * Self-awareness comes from stacking many small reflections, not one big answer. Patterns reveal themselves over time. * Purpose can be for now, for a while, or forever. Knowing which one you need today matters more than finding a permanent answer. CONNECT WITH SUNEET: * Book: https://makingsenseofpurpose.com [https://makingsenseofpurpose.com] * Website: https://myauthenticstory.com [https://myauthenticstory.com] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneetbhatt [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneetbhatt] * Instagram: @suneetonpurpose EPISODE CHAPTERS: (approx.) [00:00] What If Purpose Was Never Out There — an opening reflection [08:56] Meet Suneet Bhatt — purpose professor, author, founder of My Authentic Story [09:33] From Heavy to Accessible — how purpose stopped feeling like a burden [12:41] Twenty Years of Chasing the Wrong Things — hollowness behind the achievement [20:54] The Man Who Had Everything and Still Asked Why — a story from the book [25:20] Happy, Proud, Not Yet Satisfied — the exercise that rewires negativity bias [31:12] The Sailboat, Not the Pyramid — knowing when to steady yourself and when to catch the wind 🎙️ 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 [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 services@podhealth.club with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. > Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast [https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/DY4HFPYGHBYQN] 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us [https://www.podhub.club/contact] Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows [https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork] 🤝 Be a Guest [https://www.podhub.club/beaguest] 📩 Newsletter Substack [https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/] 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community [https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14498362/] > 📌 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 [https://www.podhub.club/contact] here > > By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. [https://www.podhub.club/terms-privacy/standard-podcast-disclaimer] #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #themindfulliving #findingpurpose #selfawareness #makingsenseofpurpose #purposeworks #knowyourself #innerclarity #selfreflection #mindfulliving #personalgrowth #midlifepurpose #authenticself #purposedriven >

Grief as Proof of Love: Processing Loss Through Writing With Niki J Borger

There is a kind of grief that does not arrive as sadness alone. It comes mixed with relief, with guilt, with feelings we are not taught to admit out loud. This episode is for anyone quietly carrying a loss they have never quite named. Actor, writer, and producer Niki J Borger sits with host Sana to talk about losing her mother, the years of stillness the pandemic forced on her, and how she found her way back to herself through writing. Together they slow down around grief as something to be met, not managed, and what it means to let a feeling simply be present. ABOUT THE GUEST: Niki J Borger is an international writer, actor, and producer known for her original plays at the Extravaganza Theater Festival in LA and award-winning short films including Because I Could and A Portrayal of a Subtle Suicide. She recently released In Between, a book of eight gender-neutral one act plays exploring the space between life and death. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Grief is not only sadness. It arrives as a whole mix of emotion, and that mix is different for everyone. * Loss often brings more loss alongside it, in career, friendships, and identity, not only in the personal. * Relief and guilt can live in grief at the same time. Neither one cancels the love. * Writing can hold what feels too tender to speak aloud, offering a safe container to process. * You don't need to fix your grief or explain it. Presence with it is already enough. CONNECT WITH NIKI: Instagram: @nikijborger [https://www.instagram.com/nikijborger] | Website: nikijborger.com [https://nikijborger.com/] | Community: Light Warrior Dojo EPISODE CHAPTERS: (approx.) [00:00] The Weight We Carry Without Naming It — an opening reflection on grief [03:35] Meet Niki J Borger — writer, actor, and the stories she tells [07:45] What We Get Wrong About Grief — beyond sadness and stages [15:45] Losing Her Mother, and the Pandemic That Followed — a season with no choice but to sit still [21:05] Grief as Proof of Love — relief, guilt, and the parts we don't say out loud [24:45] Why She Wrote the Plays — art as a safe container for what's unresolved [26:00] Where to Find Niki's Work — books, films, and Light Warrior Dojo 🎙️ 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 [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 services@podhealth.club with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. > Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast [https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/DY4HFPYGHBYQN] 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us [https://www.podhub.club/contact] Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows [https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork] 🤝 Be a Guest [https://www.podhub.club/beaguest] 📩 Newsletter Substack [https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/] 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community [https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14498362/] > 📌 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 [https://www.podhub.club/contact] here > > By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. [https://www.podhub.club/terms-privacy/standard-podcast-disclaimer] #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #themindfulliving #griefsupport #griefjourney #processinggrief #griefandloss #mindfulliving #healingthroughwriting #griefawareness #mentalhealthpodcast #gentlehealing #presentmoment #innerhealing #griefandhealing

Healing Trauma Without Reliving It: Anissa Hudak on The Mindful Living

This episode is for women who've done years of talk therapy and still feel like the trauma is somehow still there. Anissa Hudak, founder of Phoenix Women Healing and a trauma-informed practitioner blending neurosomatic therapy, hypnotherapy, and yoga, joins host Sana on The Mindful Living to explain her core belief: you don't have to relive trauma to heal it. Anissa breaks down why trauma lives in the body and the unconscious mind before it ever reaches conscious memory, why repeating your story in talk therapy can sometimes reinforce it rather than release it, and what moving trauma out of the body and out of the unconscious actually looks like in practice. About the Guest: Anissa Hudak is the founder of Phoenix Women Healing and a trauma-informed practitioner who blends neurosomatic therapy, yoga therapy, and hypnotherapy to help women heal from trauma without having to relive it. She is a two-time rape survivor, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, and a military spouse of 23 years. She holds certifications as a Master Hypnotherapist, Master NLP Practitioner, and Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT). Key Takeaways: * Trauma happens to the body first, and the brain logs it before the conscious mind catches up; healing that only addresses the conscious mind misses most of the story. * Retelling a traumatic story repeatedly in talk therapy can re-imprint it rather than release it, since the brain logs and stores whatever you keep repeating. * Memory during trauma can get "misfiled" across the senses, which is why flashbacks often surface only fragments, not the whole picture. * Trauma responses often show up as one of three patterns: the Anchor (over-functioning for everyone), the Shield (armoring up to protect others), or the Integrator (a blend of both). * Healing isn't about becoming who you were before the trauma; it's about becoming a more resourced version of yourself with better coping tools going forward. Connect With the Guest: Website: phoenixwomenhealing.com [https://phoenixwomenhealing.com/] (includes a free 3-minute quiz to identify your survivor type) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anissahudak [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anissahudak] Episode Chapters: [00:00] Trauma Doesn't Live Only in Memory — Sana opens on the body's role in healing (approx.) [07:00] The Mat That Changed Everything — Anissa's own path into trauma-informed yoga (approx.) [10:00] Why Talking Alone Isn't Enough — trauma in the body versus the conscious mind (approx.) [17:00] Misfiled Memories — why flashbacks often bring back only fragments (approx.) [22:00] The Anchor, the Shield, and the Integrator — three survivor patterns (approx.) [24:00] Moving Trauma Out of the Body and the Unconscious — what the healing process actually looks like (approx.) [28:00] Upgrading the Software — addressing skepticism about fast, lasting change (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 [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 services@podhealth.club with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. > Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast [https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/DY4HFPYGHBYQN] 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us [https://www.podhub.club/contact] Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows [https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork] 🤝 Be a Guest [https://www.podhub.club/beaguest] 📩 Newsletter Substack [https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/] 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community [https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14498362/] > 📌 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 [https://www.podhub.club/contact] here > > By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. [https://www.podhub.club/terms-privacy/standard-podcast-disclaimer] #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #traumahealing #neurosomatictherapy #hypnotherapy #traumainformed #womenshealing #sexualtraumasurvivor #militaryfamily #nervoussystemregulation #yogatherapy #ptsdrecovery #mindbodyhealing #mindfulliving >

Finding Your Voice After a Spasmodic Dysphonia Diagnosis: Alexa Denaburg

This episode is for anyone whose sense of self has quietly depended on something they never thought to question, until it started slipping away. At 28, Alexa Denaburg was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological voice disorder. She joins host Sana on The Mindful Living to talk about what it took to rebuild her identity from the inside out. Alexa explains what spasmodic dysphonia actually is, why she chose a holistic healing path over the more common Botox route, and how nervous system work, community, and radical self-advocacy helped her find her voice again, literally and otherwise. About the Guest: Alexa Denaburg is a creative entrepreneur who was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological voice disorder, at age 28. After conventional treatments didn't feel right for her, she pursued holistic healing, including nervous system regulation, tension release exercises, and sound healing, to rebuild her voice and her sense of self. She now volunteers with Dysphonia International, formerly the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association. Key Takeaways: * Spasmodic dysphonia is a neurological disorder where the brain's signals to the vocal folds misfire, causing spasms; there's no single known cause, and it's a lifelong condition. * Botox injections are the most common treatment, but they're not the only path; holistic approaches like nervous system regulation helped Alexa when the standard route didn't feel right for her. * Losing your voice isn't just physical; it can shake your sense of identity, since we rarely think about our voice until it's gone. * Isolation often deepens a health crisis; finding a community of people with the same or similar conditions can restore a sense of normalcy. * Self-advocacy matters: if a diagnosis or treatment doesn't feel right, it's worth continuing to search for one that does. Connect With the Guest: Email: adenaburg22@gmail.com [adenneberg22@gmail.com] Community: Dysphonia International (formerly the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association) [https://dysphonia.org/] Episode Chapters: [00:00] The Voice We Never Think About — Sana opens on identity built on something unnoticed (approx.) [15:00] Before the Diagnosis — burnout, busyness, and the first signs something was wrong (approx.) [19:00] What Is Spasmodic Dysphonia — a neurological disorder explained simply (approx.) [24:00] Choosing a Different Path — why Botox didn't feel right at 28 (approx.) [27:00] Relearning How to Live — tension release, sound healing, and nervous system work (approx.) [31:00] When a Hard Day Comes Back — staying steady without losing the ground gained (approx.) [37:00] Advocate for Yourself — Alexa's closing message for anyone mid-healing-journey (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 [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 services@podhealth.club with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. > Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast [https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/DY4HFPYGHBYQN] 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us [https://www.podhub.club/contact] Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows [https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork] 🤝 Be a Guest [https://www.podhub.club/beaguest] 📩 Newsletter Substack [https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/] 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community [https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14498362/] > 📌 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 [https://www.podhub.club/contact] here > > By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. [https://www.podhub.club/terms-privacy/standard-podcast-disclaimer] #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #spasmodicdysphonia #voicedisorder #holistichealing #dysphoniaawareness #nervoussystemregulation #chroniccondition #selfadvocacy #healingjourney #mindbodyconnection #mindfulliving #resilience #rareconditionawareness

From Brain Injury to Spiritual Awakening: Jessica Taylor's Story

This episode is for anyone who has had to rebuild themselves from nothing at all. At 31, Jessica Taylor survived a traumatic brain injury that erased everything she knew. Twenty years later, she joins host Sana on The Mindful Living to share how she rebuilt her mind, and found an unexpected spiritual awakening along the way. Jessica describes what she calls a headquake, the near-total loss of memory and skill, and how choosing to study rather than give up became both her recovery and her spiritual education. About the Guest: Jessica E. Taylor is a brain injury survivor, author, and educator based in Canada. After a life-threatening brain injury at 31 left her with no memory of how to function, she spent the next two decades relearning everything and studying spirituality and theology. She has written two books, including her memoir From Tragedy to Triumph, and has campaigned publicly for brain injury awareness. Key Takeaways: * A brain injury can erase learned skills entirely; recovery may mean starting over from nothing, without a map or a diagnosis. * Choosing to study, anything at all, can help stimulate healing in the brain; you don't need a complex subject to begin. * Near-death and dissociative experiences after trauma can open unexpected spiritual questions worth exploring rather than dismissing. * Spirituality doesn't require intellectualizing; the simplest explanation is often the truest one. * Healing isn't linear or fast; Jessica's process unfolded across twenty years of research, reflection, and rebuilding. Connect With the Guest: Website : jessicaetaylor.org [https://jessicaetaylor.org/] X (Twitter): x.com/jessicaetaylor1 [https://x.com/jessicaetaylor1] Books: From Tragedy to Triumph: Journey Back From the Edge, and its follow-up, A Spiritual Awakening in Search of Hidden Jewels Episode Chapters: [00:00] What If One Moment Took Everything — Sana opens on losing everything at once (approx.) [06:00] The Fall That Changed Everything — surviving an undetected brain injury at 31 (approx.) [10:00] A Headquake, Not Damage — relearning life from zero (approx.) [13:00] Third Eye, Past Lives, and Other Unexplained Moments — Jessica's experiences during recovery (approx.) [20:00] Choosing to Learn Instead of Give Up — twenty years of self-directed study (approx.) [27:00] Writing as Healing — turning two decades of research into two books (approx.) [36:00] Simple Truths Over Intellectualized Spirituality — why the plainest explanation often lands deepest (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 [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 services@podhealth.club with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to. > Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast [https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/DY4HFPYGHBYQN] 📬 Contact & Links Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️ Contact Us [https://www.podhub.club/contact] Based in: India & USA 🎧 All Podcast Shows [https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork] 🤝 Be a Guest [https://www.podhub.club/beaguest] 📩 Newsletter Substack [https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/] 👉 Join the LinkedIn Community [https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14498362/] > 📌 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 [https://www.podhub.club/contact] here > > By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here. [https://www.podhub.club/terms-privacy/standard-podcast-disclaimer] #podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #braininjuryawareness #traumaticbraininjury #spiritualawakening #survivorstory #resilience #mindovermatter #healingjourney #consciousness #mindfulliving #selfdiscovery #innerhealing #spiritualgrowth >