Coffee Break with Fatima, Grace, and Liz

The Story Our Minds Tell Us: Rewiring Thoughts and Reclaiming the Self with Dr. Tahilia Rebello

In today's episode, we sit down with Dr. Tahilia Rebello, neuroscientist, VP of mental health research and advocacy organization: One Mind, and Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Columbia University. Tahilia shares her journey navigating mental health from not only a personal but also a community and global perspective. We explore: • How early-life experiences and the environments we grow up in shape the personal narratives we carry into adulthood • How early-life experiences play a role in shaping our emotional blueprint and why early relational experiences matter so much for long-term mental health • Why change, especially deep emotional change, can be challenging without the right support structures • Tools to identify and "rewrite" the unhealthy stories we tell ourselves and design psychologically safe spaces in our lives • Why urban planning, climate justice, and community are critical to mental health. This conversation was incredibly powerful and a must-listen for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how to best care for themselves, others, and our communities. Enjoy. -- Chapters: 00:00 Start 04:04 How Early Life Shapes Our Core Narratives 13:57 Epigenetics: Inheriting Stories Biologically 18:48 A "Tourist" Identity 24:02 Digital Age & Narrative Formation 31:07 Challenging and Rewriting Our Stories 47:22 Psychological Safety: Key to Healthy Development 57:31 Systems Thinking: Mental Health Beyond the Individual 01:06:31 One Mind’s Ecosystem Approach 01:28:31 Cross-Cultural Insights 01:40:50 Hope and Future Vision

Stop Hiding and Start Healing | with Atlanta Trainer and Kickboxing Coach, Derrick Washington

Derrick Washington—Atlanta-based kickboxing coach, trainer, and founder of 301 Fitness, shares how addiction, shame, and isolation eroded his body, relationships, and spirit—and most importantly, how fitness became a path back to himself. We explore: * The illusion of "fine" and why physical strength means nothing when we’re spiritually hollow, and how to recognize the disconnect * How community, not willpower alone, is the antidote to hiding * How to reclaim movement not for aesthetics, but as a dialogue between body, faith, and forgiveness * The use of words as medicine and why intentional language rebuilds integrity from within This episode is for anyone who has ever armored themselves with achievement, numbed pain with productivity, or felt like a stranger in their own skin. Enjoy. 00:00:00 Start 00:01:26 Meet Derrick Washington 00:03:58 Fitness Origin Story 00:07:01 Spiritual Bankruptcy 00:13:23 Addiction & Rock Bottom 00:15:22 Rehab Revelation 00:19:26 Daughter's Diagnosis 00:25:51 Purpose Reborn 00:30:34 Atlanta Awakening 00:32:30 Coaching Through Empathy 00:45:01 The Non-Negotiable: Community 00:47:32 Words as Medicine 00:49:16 Fitness Misconceptions 00:51:18 Mind-Body Presence 01:01:04 Embracing Discomfort 01:02:50 Final Wisdom: You're Not Alone Follow us: @insidecoffeebreak -- Derrick Washington has dedicated his life to making fitness more accessible and enjoyable for others. As the Lead Trainer at Roundhouse Kickboxing based in Atlanta, Georgia, he offers personalized coaching that includes tailored workout plans, nutritional guidance, and ongoing support to help people achieve their fitness goals. Derrick empowers individuals to harness their inner strength and resilience through higher high energy workouts that combine strength training, cardio and martial arts techniques.

The Cost of Ignoring Your Body and The Truth About Burnout with Journalist, Jaide Garcia

What happens when your body forces you to stop—after years of pushing, producing, and performing? In this episode, we sit down with Jaide Garcia, a multi-Emmy award-winning field producer for CNN, who shares what burnout really looks like when you are so deeply tied to your work. We explore: * How stress and unprocessed trauma manifest in the body * The turning point that changed everything in Jaide’s career and life * The false comfort of hustle culture and the fear of slowing down * What it means to reclaim agency, joy, and alignment * The journey of feeling again—after years of emotional numbness * Redefining success and self-worth beyond performance This episode is for anyone navigating burnout, questioning their career path, or feeling the slow unraveling of a life lived too fast for too long. Enjoy. Newsletter sign-up [https://thenexusexperience.substack.com/] Follow us @insidecoffeebreak [https://www.instagram.com/insidecoffeebreak] Multi-Emmy Award winning field producer for CNN, with 10+ years of covering international and domestic breaking news. A fast-paced, solutions based journalist who is learning the hard way about the benefits of slowing down and living mindfully. Jaide is exploring the next chapter of her life with more openness and gratitude than ever before.

The systems have failed us. What now?

Welcome to Season 4 of Coffee Break. In this opening episode, Fatima, Grace, and Liz reflect on how the podcast has changed them and how they are staying present and grounded during uncertainty. Stay tuned for our guest episodes on grief, healing, and the stories we tell ourselves. Follow us @insidecoffeebreak

Finding Home Within | on Yoga, Identity, and Purpose with Rutu Chaudhari

In this episode, we sit down with Rutu Chaudhuri, a renowned yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience, the founder of the Dharma Project, and owner of All Life is Yoga studio in Atlanta, Georgia. Rutu shares her life journey from moving to the United States at a young age, navigating multiple cultural identities, and ultimately finding her place and purpose through yoga and mindfulness. We explore her life coming from an immigrant family, navigating familial expectations, and how she utilized yoga to find home within herself and overcome personal challenges. Rutu also discusses the founding of the Dharma Project, a nonprofit bringing yoga and mindfulness to marginalized communities, and her recent decision to step away from the organization. Whether you're on a journey of understanding your purpose, learning how to heal from trauma, or seeking courage to pursue something new in your life, this episode is for you. Enjoy. Chapters 00:00 Start 01:54 Growing Up Indian American 05:10 Navigating Cultural Identity 10:08 Finding Community and Hip Hop 15:53 Rediscovering Yoga 21:30 Teaching Yoga and Family Reactions 40:46 The Dharma Project 46:09 The Concept of Dharma 48:24 The Intersection of Purpose and Service 49:42 Transitioning from the Dharma Project 50:32 Challenges and Achievements in Nonprofit Work 55:01 The Decision to Step Down 57:46 Embracing New Creative Pursuits 59:53 Navigating Transition 01:06:21 The Girl with the Om Tattoo 01:20:06 Future Aspirations 01:30:43 Closing Thoughts Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@insidecoffeebreak] Newsletter Sign-up [https://thenexusexperience.substack.com/] Rutu Chaudhari is an Atlanta-based writer, actor, and yoga teacher dedicated to fostering inclusivity in wellness. She is the CEO of All Life is Yoga studio and director of Atlanta’s premier Yoga Teacher Certification Program, having trained 150+ instructors since 2008. Rutu began practicing yoga in 1998 and has over 4,000 hours of certifications in alignment-based yoga, meditation, yoga therapeutics, nutrition and lifestyle coaching In 2016, she founded the Dharma Project, a nonprofit providing trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness to underserved communities, including incarcerated individuals, first responders, and educators. Under her leadership, the organization earned the United Way’s SPARK Prize, a Civic Innovation Fellowship, and recognition as Georgia’s first yoga vocational program for incarcerated populations. Named Atlanta’s “Best Yoga Teacher” by Creative Loafing and a Hambidge Creative Arts Center writing fellow, Rutu holds a BA in English Literature from Georgia State University. Off the mat, she enjoys music, cooking, and retreats to the woods. Follow us @insidecoffeebreak