The Discipline of Pleasure: How Softness Sustains Your Energy

The Father Wound: How Your Relationship With Your Dad Shapes the Love You Choose

This is one of the most personal episodes I've recorded. We're going into the father wound today, and I want to be honest with you from the start: this is not just about having a difficult father. It is about the gap between what you needed and what you received, and how that gap quietly shapes the relationships you choose, the love you accept, and how safe you feel taking up space. In this episode I share my own story, the parts I haven't spoken about in this much depth before, and I also walk you through the psychology behind why this particular wound runs so deep, how to recognise it in yourself, and what it actually looks like to start healing it. We cover: * What the father wound actually is and the many forms it takes * The research behind why this relationship shapes everything that follows * How it shows up in your relationships, whether you're single or partnered * The questions to sit with honestly * What healing this has looked like for me personally * Where to begin if you're recognising this for the first time This episode is not about blame, but about understanding one of your most important relationships. As real honest understanding is always where the shift begins. Links mentioned in this episode: FREE Self-Trust Starter Kit — free 4-part series https://parulgupta.myflodesk.com/selftruststarterkit [https://parulgupta.myflodesk.com/selftruststarterkit] Your Cosmic Blueprint — 90-min 1:1 session unpacking your key life themes + patterns using Human Design, Astrology and Numerology https://www.parulgupta.com.au/yourcosmicblueprint [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/yourcosmicblueprint] The Season Between Stories — 3-month 1:1 mentorship https://www.parulgupta.com.au/monthlymentorship [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/monthlymentorship] Psychology Today article by Linda Nielsen — How Your Daddy Issues Damage Your Relationships with Men [https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/fathers-daughters/202003/how-your-daddy-issues-damage-your-relationships-with-men] Website: parulgupta.com.au [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/] Instagram: @healingwithparul [https://www.instagram.com/healingwithparul/]

Doing Less, Trusting More: How I’m Closing This Year

This episode is a little different. Instead of talking about a concept, a lesson, or a tool, I’m sharing how I’m actually choosing to close this year and why this matters more than rushing into the next one with new goals. This year asked me to slow down, listen to my body, and let go of the pressure to achieve or perform. At the time, it didn’t feel comfortable or impressive. But looking back now, I can see how much shifted beneath the surface and how essential that internal work has been. In this episode, I talk about celebration as a way of living, integrating, and creating safety within yourself.  I also share a simple process I used to reflect on this year honestly and close it with intention — something you can do too, without forcing clarity or productivity. Here's a little summary of the steps:  1. Reflecting on each month’s wins and challenges Looking back month by month and naming the real themes that stood out, not just what went well, but what stretched and grew you too.  2. Finding the wisdom in the hard months Instead of dismissing difficult periods as “nothing happened,” learning to ask what those moments taught you about yourself, your body, and your needs. 3. Setting an intention for the year ahead Not in terms of your physical goals, but what you want to embody more of. 4. Choosing three anchor words as guiding pillars Simple, embodied reminders to help you make aligned decisions moving forward. 5. Drawing a line in the sand to mark completion Creating a clear energetic ending to this year so your body and nervous system can truly move into the next chapter. I also share a bit more about my own journey this year, from health challenges and  slowing down, to learning how to trust my body, release old patterns of overgiving, and soften into a more grounded pace of life. If this year felt quieter, heavier, or more internal than you expected, this episode is for you.

Alignment, Self-Trust & Leaving the Life You Outgrew with Jennifer Tang

This is my first ever guest conversation on the podcast, and I couldn’t think of a better person to begin with than my dear friend, yoga teacher and trainer, Jennifer Tang. Jen and I met through the world of yoga and healing, and every time we talk I’m reminded how real, messy, and human the journey of alignment actually is. In this episode, Jen shares what her life looked like as a Statistician & Business Analyst living the “successful” 9–5, while quietly feeling disconnected, anxious, and miserable every morning. We talk about: * what it’s like to realise the life you worked so hard to build isn’t actually yours * the moment she stopped pretending she was okay * quitting her job without a plan * the six months of anxiety and surrender that followed * how yoga brought her back to her body, intuition, and truth * what alignment actually feels like * the difference between freedom on paper vs freedom in your nervous system * why self-trust changes every single thing in your life This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck, disconnected, or scared to take the next step and needs proof that alignment unfolds one brave decision at a time. Connect with Jennifer Tang, Yoga Teacher Trainer & Mindfulness Coach Instagram @msjennifertang [https://www.instagram.com/msjennifertang]Website:  https:// [https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/10-day-yin-challenge/]www.stilliriseyoga.com.au [http://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/] Free 10 Day Yin Yoga Challenge https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/10-day-yin-challenge/ [https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/10-day-yin-challenge/] Yin Yoga Teacher Training * Online: https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/yin-yoga-teacher-training/ [https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/yin-yoga-teacher-training/] * In-Person: https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/yin-ytt-inperson/ [https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/yin-ytt-inperson/] 200hr Yoga Teacher Training * Online: https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/online-ytt200/ [https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/online-ytt200/] * In-Person: https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/ytt200inperson/ [https://www.stilliriseyoga.com.au/ytt200inperson/] Work with me: 1:1 Mentorship Season Between Stories: https://www.parulgupta.com.au/monthlymentorship [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/monthlymentorship]  Cosmic Blueprint Readings (HD + Astrology + Numerology): https://www.parulgupta.com.au/yourcosmicblueprint [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/yourcosmicblueprint]  Order Finding Magic in Your Mess Guided Self-Love Cards:  https://www.parulgupta.com.au/shop/p/findingmagicinyourmessaffirmationcards [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/shop/p/findingmagicinyourmessaffirmationcards]  Instagram: @healingwithparul [https://www.instagram.com/healingwithparul] Email: hello@parulgupta.com.au

Safety, Softness & The Feminine: What No One Told Us Growing Up

In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the most misunderstood concepts in the self-development world: feminine energy. Not the aesthetic or performance or the “slow dancing in Bali” imagery we are sold on Instagram, but the real thing. If you grew up being the strong one, the responsible one, the fixer, the achiever, the emotional adult in the room long before you were ready, then softness probably never felt safe. And when softness doesn’t feel safe, the feminine retreats in the background to protect herself. In this conversation, I’m unpacking: * why so many of us mistake control, hyper-independence, and over-functioning as strength * why feminine energy isn’t something you “learn,” it’s something you remember * how childhood roles shape the way we love, date, receive, rest, and trust * why safety, not aesthetics is the foundation of your feminine * the real reason emotionally available relationships feel out of reach * how pleasure, rest, and softness reconnect you to your magnetism * what it looks like to open again without abandoning yourself If you’ve ever thought you’re “too much in your masculine,” if you’ve ever shut down your desires, overperformed in relationships, or struggled to trust receiving love and support, this episode will land deeply. This is the truth I wish someone had told me years ago: Your feminine isn’t missing. She’s just waiting for your body to feel safe enough to open. Come listen, soften and remember who you were before life asked you to play tough. Connect with me:  IG: @healingwithparul [https://www.instagram.com/healingwithparul] Website: www.parulgupta.com.au [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/] Got a question for me?: hello@parulgupta.com.au PS: My Finding Magic in Your Mess affirmation cards are now live. They were birthed in a season that taught me how to surrender and soften.  Get yours here 💖: Self-love cards [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/shop/p/findingmagicinyourmessaffirmationcards]

The Discipline of Pleasure: How Softness Sustains Your Energy

We talk a lot about discipline, consistency, and hard work, but rarely about the energy that makes all of that sustainable. Pleasure isn’t the opposite of discipline. It’s the rhythm that keeps discipline alive. It’s how your body remembers safety, creativity, and trust — the quiet exhale that says, I’m safe now. In this episode, I unpack what it means to live from a regulated, pleasurable body, one that doesn’t need to burn out to prove its worth. You’ll learn why pleasure isn’t about indulgence or luxury, but about restoring the energy that keeps you moving toward what matters. 💫 We’ll explore:  • Why pleasure and safety are the same thing  • How to make your discipline feel nourishing, not punishing  • Practical ways to reintroduce rest, joy, and aliveness into your everyday life This episode is a permission slip to soften... not to stop moving, but to move from a place of wholeness.  ✨ Connect with me: Instagram — @healingwithparul [https://www.instagram.com/healingwithparul] Website — www.parulgupta.com.au [https://www.parulgupta.com.au/] Email — hello@parulgupta.com.au