Portraits By Paula Mac

Wellness As a Strategy for Success: Building Sustainable Businesses From the Inside Out

What if “wellness” was not a trend, but a skill you can build to feel safe in your body, lead better, and live with more clarity?In this episode of Portraits by Paula, Paula sits down with Soniyaa Kiran Punjabi, Founder of Dubai-based holistic wellness center Illuminations, and a hypnotherapist and holistic coach, to explore what it really means to blend spirituality with business in a grounded way.Soniyaa shares the personal turning points that shaped her path, from growing up between cultures to experiencing early loss that sparked deeper questions about purpose, impermanence, and healing. She takes us behind the scenes of building one of Dubai’s earliest structured wellbeing platforms, at a time when mindfulness, meditation, and holistic therapy were barely part of the conversation.Together, they unpack nervous system safety, why so many high-functioning people live in survival mode even when life looks “fine,” and how real growth often begins when we stop forcing and start learning receptivity. Soniyaa also shares a simple, evidence-based practice you can do in minutes to regulate your nervous system and shift how you show up in your day.A grounded conversation for anyone navigating ambition, burnout, healing, and the desire to live with more presence.We talk about:• Building a wellness business in Dubai before it was mainstream• Loss, grief, and the awakening that changed everything• What “holistic” actually means in practice• Nervous system regulation and why safety is the root issue• Why people stay attached to chaos and stress patterns• Spirituality that is practical and applicable to daily life• Wellness in high-performance cultures like Dubai• Receptivity vs productivity and finding balance• A simple heart-brain coherence practice you can try todayChapters00:00 Introduction01:10 Who Soniyaa is and what she built with Illuminations03:00 Why she started Illumination Wellbeing and the early Dubai wellness landscape07:10 Growing up between cultures and early spiritual influence09:20 Loss, impermanence, and the shift into deeper questions11:30 Hypnosis, the subconscious, and the beginning of her healing path18:20 From organizing events to building a structured wellness center23:00 Training practitioners and how the platform evolved25:10 Choosing modalities, credibility, and staying grounded29:00 Wellness culture, social media, and the post-COVID shift35:00 Failure, reflection, and how her approach to business changed43:00 Paula’s personal story with Illuminations47:40 The root of most issues: safety, trauma, and the nervous system54:10 A simple heart-brain coherence practice for morning and night59:00 Why receptivity matters and living with more awarenessFollow usSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4V4M4RyDqN8Jb5v3kK9yCzYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@portraitsbypaulaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastportraits_/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@portraits_podcastFollow Paulahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-muzikante-macneill-4867403a/Follow our guestSoniyaa Kiran Punjabihttps://www.instagram.com/soniyaakiran/

The Hidden Impact of Fabrics on Your Skin and Nervous System

What if the clothes you wear didn’t just shape your style, but also your health, nervous system, and energetic state? In this episode of Portraits by Paula, Paula sits down with Tengku Chanela Janiah, founder of Rodeo Park and a leading advocate for skin-safe style, conscious fashion, and frequency-led living. Chanel shares her deeply personal journey through identity, wellness, and self-discovery. From growing up between cultures and public life to navigating chronic skin conditions, high sensitivity, and topical steroid withdrawal, this conversation explores what it truly means to live intentionally in a modern world. Together, they unpack how fabrics carry frequency, how synthetic materials can impact the body, and why natural fibres like linen, silk, wool, and hemp resonate differently with our nervous system and overall wellbeing. Chanela explains how her lived experience with highly sensitive skin led her to rethink fashion from the inside out, merging science, sound healing, and material integrity into a new way of dressing. The conversation also explores her work in sound healing, plant medicine advocacy, and the philosophy behind Rodeo Park as a slow fashion brand built for wellness-minded women. This is not a conversation about trends or aesthetics alone. It is about awareness, responsibility, and reconnecting with the body through what we consume, wear, and surround ourselves with. A grounded, expansive episode for anyone curious about frequency, conscious fashion, healing, identity, and living in alignment. We talk about: • Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP) and nervous system regulation • Chronic skin conditions and topical steroid withdrawal • The connection between fabric, frequency, and the body • Synthetic vs natural fibres and their energetic impact • Sound healing and how frequency shapes wellbeing • Conscious fashion and skin-safe style • Detoxing your wardrobe and material awareness • Slow fashion, sustainability, and intentional design • Identity, self-worth, and healing through lived experience • Building a purpose-led brand rooted in wellness Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:00 Chanela’s background and upbringing 07:00 Sensitivity, empathy, and nervous system awareness 12:00 Skin health, steroids, and healing journeys 18:00 Discovering fabric sensitivity and material impact 24:00 Sound healing and frequency work 30:00 Synthetic vs natural fibres explained 36:00 The science of fabric frequency 42:00 Creating Rodeo Park and skin-safe style 48:00 Conscious fashion and slow production 54:00 Purpose, authenticity, and living in alignment Follow us Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4V4M4RyDqN8Jb5v3kK9yCz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@portraitsbypaula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastportraits_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@portraits_podcast Follow Paula https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-muzikante-macneill-4867403a/ Follow our guest Tengku Chanela Janiah Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chanelatcj/ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanelatcj/

Your Life in Numbers: What 2026 Awakens in All of Us

What if numbers weren’t just data, but a language shaping who we are, the choices we make, and the cycles we move through? In this insightful episode of Portraits by Paula, Paula sits down with Astro Numerologist Monica Gupta, based in Dubai, to explore how numerology and astrology intersect with identity, timing, and life direction. Monica shares her personal journey from a small town in India to building a multi-layered career in Dubai, combining numerology, astrology, vastu, business, and intuitive guidance. Together, they unpack how numbers influence personality, destiny, relationships, career paths, health patterns, and even entire countries. The conversation moves deeply into the energy of 2026, a universal Year One ruled by the Sun, marking the beginning of a new nine-year cycle. Monica explains what this shift means collectively and individually, from leadership changes and technological evolution to personal growth, discipline, and new beginnings. This episode is not about prediction or superstition. It is about awareness. About understanding cycles, energy, and responsibility, and learning how to work with life instead of against it. A grounding and expansive listen for anyone curious about numerology, astrology, manifestation, and how to move into the next chapter of life with clarity and intention. We talk about: • How numerology works and the four pillars of numbers • Personality numbers vs destiny numbers • The connection between numerology and astrology • How names, dates, and timing influence life paths • Why certain years feel harder than others • The closing energy of 2025 and what it signifies • The meaning of 2026 as a universal Year One • Leadership, power shifts, and collective change • Personal year cycles and how to work with them • Business, money, relationships, and timing • Health patterns and planetary influence • Manifestation, intention, and practical action • How different numbers can prepare for 2026 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:00 Monica’s journey into numerology 07:00 Personality numbers and destiny numbers 12:00 The four pillars of numerology 17:00 How numbers shape identity and choices 22:00 Numerology and astrology working together 27:00 Understanding cycles and personal years 33:00 The energy of 2025 and karmic closure 38:00 What 2026 represents globally 44:00 Career, business, and money insights 50:00 Guidance for each number in 2026 58:00 Final reflections and intention setting Follow us Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4V4M4RyDqN8Jb5v3kK9yCz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@portraitsbypaula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastportraits_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@portraits_podcast Follow Paula https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-muzikante-macneill-4867403a/ Follow our guest Monickaa Gupta https://www.instagram.com/monickaa_numerologist?igsh=MWExa29mcGk3ZHljZA==

War in Gaza: How Psychologists Are Supporting Kids Through Trauma & PTSD

What happens when trauma is collective, ongoing, and impossible to look away from?In this deeply moving episode of Portraits by Paula, Paula sits down with Dr. Haneen Jarrar, Child Therapist and Founder of Keif, and Chantale Ishac, Trauma and Addiction Specialist and Founder of Brain Spotting MENA, to explore how healing unfolds in the midst of war, displacement, and unimaginable loss.Both guests share how their work began on the frontlines of humanitarian response, supporting children, teachers, and families impacted by the war in Gaza. They speak candidly about witnessing trauma at its most raw, working with children pulled from rubble, and the responsibility of holding space without becoming overwhelmed by it.The conversation moves through intergenerational trauma, grief, nervous system regulation, and the fine balance between being a clinician and being human. They also reflect on advocacy, rage, helplessness, and how emotions like anger can be transformed into purposeful action rather than shutdown.This episode is not about politics. It is about people. About dignity, compassion, and what it means to show up for healing when the world feels unbearably unjust.A powerful listen for anyone trying to understand trauma, collective grief, and the quiet strength required to keep choosing humanity.We talk about:• Trauma in children and how it shows up in the body• Working with grief, loss, and terror in humanitarian settings• Supporting teachers and caregivers living with unresolved trauma• The difference between empathy and compassion in crisis work• Intergenerational trauma and inherited pain• Nervous system regulation and trauma-informed healing• Advocacy, rage, and emotional responsibility• Why feeling deeply is not weakness• Turning helplessness into meaningful action• The mission and future of the Keif communityChapters00:00 Introduction03:00 How Keif was born07:00 Trauma, displacement, and early advocacy12:00 Children, grief, and loss17:00 Intergenerational trauma22:00 Teachers, learning, and nervous system overwhelm27:00 Trauma therapy in crisis settings33:00 Compassion vs empathy38:00 Rage, helplessness, and emotional truth44:00 Faith, meaning, and endurance50:00 The future of KeifFollow usSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4V4M4RyDqN8Jb5v3kK9yCzYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@portraitsbypaulaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastportraits_/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@portraits_podcastFollow Paulahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-muzikante-macneill-4867403a/Follow our guests1. Dr. Haneen Jarrarhttps://www.instagram.com/dr.haneenjarrar/2. Chantale Ishachttps://www.instagram.com/chantale_addictionspecialist/

Healing Your Energy with Life Scripting & Akashic Records: Maria Leonard’s Story

What if clarity, healing and direction are not found outside of you, but in the parts of yourself you rarely sit with? In this thoughtful and deeply grounding episode, Spiritual Growth Coach Maria Leonard Yahyeyan joins Paula to explore intuition, energy, grief, soul patterns and the unseen forces shaping our inner world. Maria opens up about her childhood across Kuwait, Syria, Iran, Lebanon and Dubai, growing up with psychics, astrology and intuitive practices as a normal part of life. She reflects on losing both parents within six months, how grief feels on a soul level and why some souls transition peacefully while others stay unsettled. She also explains the Akashic Records, reincarnation, karmic lessons, breathwork and why anxiety is often an energetic congestion rather than a mental problem. This is an episode for anyone seeking clarity, emotional release or a deeper understanding of the human experience. We talk about: ✔️ Growing up with spirituality, psychics and intuitive practices ✔️ How childhood across cultures shaped her worldview ✔️ Losing both parents and understanding grief on a soul level ✔️ What happens to the soul after death ✔️ Reincarnation, karmic lessons and higher self ✔️ How the Akashic Records work and why anyone can access them ✔️ Breathwork and releasing emotional blocks stored in the body ✔️ Anxiety as an energetic congestion ✔️ Balancing intuition and logical thinking ✔️ How Live Scripting brings breath, energy, intuition and words together Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:00 Childhood, intuition and growing up around spirituality 07:00 Cultural influences and early exposure to psychics 12:00 Losing both parents and the soul perspective on grief 17:00 Reincarnation, karmic lessons and higher self 22:00 Human experience and why difficult emotions matter 27:00 Understanding the Akashic Records 33:00 Breathwork and emotional release 38:00 Anxiety, fear and energetic blocks 44:00 Strengthening intuition and inner clarity 50:00 What Live Scripting is and how it transforms people Follow us Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4V4M4RyDqN8Jb5v3kK9yCz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@portraitsbypaula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastportraits_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@portraits_podcast Follow Paula: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-muzikante-macneill-4867403a/ Follow Maria Leonard Yahyeyan: https://www.instagram.com/iammarialeonard/ https://www.instagram.com/lifescripting/