Featured Episode

8 hours ago
17 min
Why Retreat Highs Fade: Carmela Fortin on Lasting Wellness Change
Carmela spent over a decade in tech before becoming a change management coach, and she saw the same pattern everywhere: smart, driven people who could optimize an entire company but couldn't make a wellness habit stick past the flight home. This conversation is about what actually closes that gap, and why bringing the human back into the process, not another app or checklist, might be the real answer.
About the Guest:
Carmela Fortin is a certified executive and organizational change management coach, AI advisor, and co-founder of Crescent, an end-to-end retreat lifecycle management platform built to help wellness practices continue after a retreat ends. She also co-founded Aloha Reset Retreats in Oahu, Hawaii, and hosts The AI Marketing Coach Podcast.
Key Takeaways:
The retreat itself usually isn't the problem. What's missing is a structure for carrying those practices, teachings, and connections into ordinary daily life afterward.
Even highly disciplined, "optimized" people struggle here. Carmela saw this pattern repeatedly with founders and executives in tech who could scale a company but not a personal wellness habit.
Wellness integration isn't about adding another checklist. It's about keeping a real relationship (with a teacher, a retreat community, or a practice) alive after the retreat ends, rather than starting from scratch every time.
If you're overwhelmed by wellness options, look for the ones that involve staying connected to actual people you trust, not just more videos or content to consume alone.
Change of any kind, whether personal or organizational, needs its own management. Skipping that step is often why transformation doesn't hold.
You don't need a perfect plan to start. Small, steady steps carry people further than waiting for the right moment ever does.
Connect With the Guest:
Retreat platform: https://crescentapp.fit
Retreats: https://aloharesetyoga.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmela-fortin-a572914b/
Podcast: The AI Marketing Coach Podcast
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Cold Open: The Retreat High That Doesn't Last (approx.)
[01:30] Meet Carmela Fortin: From Tech Growth to Change Management Coaching (approx.)
[01:55] The Misconception That a Retreat Can Reset Everything (approx.)
[06:20] Why Smart, Driven People Struggle to Make Wellness Stick (approx.)
[10:00] What True Wellness Integration Actually Looks Like (approx.)
[15:00] Keeping the Human in the Loop (approx.)
[17:30] Where to Start When You're Overwhelmed by Options (approx.)
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
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.
Healthy Mind By Avik™️is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.
With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.
Contact:💼 Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™📧 Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact🌐 Website: https://www.podhub.club📍 Based in: India & USA
🎧 Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork🤝 Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest📩 Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/
#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #wellnessintegration #retreatlife #changemanagement #techburnout #mentalhealthawareness #sustainablewellness #habitbuilding #executivecoaching #mindbodyconnection #wellnesspractitioners #innerhealing #realchange
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8 hours ago
8 hours ago
17 min
You book the retreat, clear your calendar, do the yoga, journal by the ocean, and come home feeling reset. Then a week or two later, it all quietly slips away. Host Sreemedha talks with Carmela Fortin, a certified executive and organizational change management coach and co-founder of Crescent, about why that gap between the retreat high and real life isn't a willpower problem. It's a design problem.
Carmela spent over a decade in tech before becoming a change management coach, and she saw the same pattern everywhere: smart, driven people who could optimize an entire company but couldn't make a wellness habit stick past the flight home. This conversation is about what actually closes that gap, and why bringing the human back into the process, not another app or checklist, might be the real answer.
About the Guest:
Carmela Fortin is a certified executive and organizational change management coach, AI advisor, and co-founder of Crescent, an end-to-end retreat lifecycle management platform built to help wellness practices continue after a retreat ends. She also co-founded Aloha Reset Retreats in Oahu, Hawaii, and hosts The AI Marketing Coach Podcast.
Key Takeaways:
The retreat itself usually isn't the problem. What's missing is a structure for carrying those practices, teachings, and connections into ordinary daily life afterward.
Even highly disciplined, "optimized" people struggle here. Carmela saw this pattern repeatedly with founders and executives in tech who could scale a company but not a personal wellness habit.
Wellness integration isn't about adding another checklist. It's about keeping a real relationship (with a teacher, a retreat community, or a practice) alive after the retreat ends, rather than starting from scratch every time.
If you're overwhelmed by wellness options, look for the ones that involve staying connected to actual people you trust, not just more videos or content to consume alone.
Change of any kind, whether personal or organizational, needs its own management. Skipping that step is often why transformation doesn't hold.
You don't need a perfect plan to start. Small, steady steps carry people further than waiting for the right moment ever does.
Connect With the Guest:
Retreat platform: https://crescentapp.fit
Retreats: https://aloharesetyoga.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmela-fortin-a572914b/
Podcast: The AI Marketing Coach Podcast
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Cold Open: The Retreat High That Doesn't Last (approx.)
[01:30] Meet Carmela Fortin: From Tech Growth to Change Management Coaching (approx.)
[01:55] The Misconception That a Retreat Can Reset Everything (approx.)
[06:20] Why Smart, Driven People Struggle to Make Wellness Stick (approx.)
[10:00] What True Wellness Integration Actually Looks Like (approx.)
[15:00] Keeping the Human in the Loop (approx.)
[17:30] Where to Start When You're Overwhelmed by Options (approx.)
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
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.
Healthy Mind By Avik™️is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.
With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.
Contact:💼 Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™📧 Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact🌐 Website: https://www.podhub.club📍 Based in: India & USA
🎧 Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork🤝 Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest📩 Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/
#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #wellnessintegration #retreatlife #changemanagement #techburnout #mentalhealthawareness #sustainablewellness #habitbuilding #executivecoaching #mindbodyconnection #wellnesspractitioners #innerhealing #realchange

20 hours ago
20 hours ago
21 min
What if healing didn't have to look serious, heavy, or perfectly composed? Host Sreemedha talks with Frannie Sheridan, an international stress management expert and author who spent over three decades turning inherited trauma into what she calls PTJO, Post-Traumatic Joy Overload. Raised in a family shaped by secrecy and a parent's unspoken PTSD, Frannie eventually found that the fastest way out of survival mode wasn't more seriousness. It was play.
Key Takeaways:
Healing doesn't require staying heavy the whole way through. Humor and play can be a legitimate, fast doorway out of survival mode, not a way of avoiding what happened.
The stories we've been quietly telling ourselves, often without realizing it, shape our reality. Changing that pattern takes repetition, the same way building muscle does.
Try a simple breath-and-hum practice: breathe in through the nose while picturing a color that feels good, hold briefly, then hum on an exhale. A few rounds can shift your nervous system in minutes.
Gratitude doesn't need to be elaborate. Three minutes, a few times a day, naming ordinary things you're thankful for can meaningfully lower stress over time.
Movement changes physiology fast. Simple, even silly, movement paired with music can shift you out of a low mood before you've had time to think your way out of it.
Different tools work for different people and different moments. If one technique doesn't land for you right now, that's normal. Try another.
Connect With the Guest:
Website: https://franniesheridan.com
Book: I Tried to Be Normal, But It Was Taken (Amazon, Kindle, and audiobook)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franniesheridan/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franniesheridan/
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Cold Open: Reclaiming the Story You Were Handed (approx.)
[01:10] Meet Frannie Sheridan: Turning Trauma Into Joy (approx.)
[01:35] What Is Post-Traumatic Joy Overload? (approx.)
[08:45] The Practice of Humming to Calm Your Nervous System (approx.)
[13:00] Gratitude in Three-Minute Bursts (approx.)
[17:00] Shmoomba: Movement as Medicine (approx.)
[21:30] Why Different Tools Work for Different People (approx.)
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
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.
Healthy Mind By Avik™️is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.
With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.
Contact:💼 Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™📧 Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact🌐 Website: https://www.podhub.club📍 Based in: India & USA
🎧 Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork🤝 Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest📩 Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/
#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #posttraumaticjoy #stressmanagement #innerhealing #traumahealing #playfulhealing #mentalhealthawareness #nervoussystemregulation #joyfulliving #reframeyourstory #resilience #humor #wellnesstools

2 days ago
2 days ago
28 min
The first time a child in your life says a full sentence can feel like magic, something that just happened on its own. Host Somya talks with Jeaneen Tang, a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience, about why that magic actually starts building much earlier than most parents realize, and why waiting to "see if they catch up" often costs families precious time.
Jeaneen speaks candidly about her own son's traumatic brain injury and stroke at 13 months old, the surprising ways well-meaning parents can accidentally slow language development by anticipating a child's every need, and simple, natural ways to build vocabulary into everyday moments like snack time and story time. This is a warm, practical conversation for any parent, caregiver, or educator who wants to support a child's communication before it becomes a formal concern.
About the Guest:
Jeaneen Tang is a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience working with children from early intervention through school age. After her own son suffered a traumatic brain injury and stroke at 13 months old, she wrote Play, Dumb, and Sabotage, a conversational handbook that empowers parents, caregivers, and educators to build language development through everyday, intentional interaction.
Key Takeaways:
Language doesn't just happen naturally the way some parents assume. Like rolling over or crawling, it needs to be nurtured through talking, singing, and interacting, starting even before birth.
Watch for a real first word around 12 months (with a healthy range of 10 to 14 months). If it's not there, it's never too early to check in with a professional, even just for reassurance.
One surprising cause of delayed talking: parents who anticipate a child's every need so well that the child never has to ask for anything. Stepping back deliberately, like leaving a little out of reach at snack time, can encourage a child to communicate.
Watch for two different patterns: kids who understand everything but aren't yet expressing it (these often catch up quickly), versus kids who are delayed in both understanding and expression (these may need longer-term support).
Build vocabulary into ordinary moments. Hold up two choices, like two shirts or two foods, about shoulder-width apart so you can see where your child is looking, and narrate accordingly.
If progress feels slow, lean on both professionals and a community of other parents going through something similar. Staying calm yourself, especially during a child's frustration, tends to help them stay calmer too.
Connect With the Guest:
Website: https://www.playdumbandsabotage.com (book, online courses for parents, educators, and speech therapists)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jt808/
Facebook: Jeaneen Tang
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Cold Open: The Building Blocks Behind a Child's First Sentence (approx.)
[01:00] Meet Jeaneen Tang: Speech-Language Pathologist and Author (approx.)
[01:20] The Biggest Misconception About Language Development (approx.)
[05:00] When to Seek Professional Help (And Why Early Matters) (approx.)
[08:30] How Over-Anticipating Your Child's Needs Can Slow Language (approx.)
[19:00] Simple Everyday Ways to Build Vocabulary (approx.)
[24:00] Staying Steady When Progress Feels Slow (approx.)
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
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.
Healthy Mind By Avik™️is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.
With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.
Contact:💼 Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™📧 Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact🌐 Website: https://www.podhub.club📍 Based in: India & USA
🎧 Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork🤝 Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest📩 Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/
#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #speechtherapy #languagedevelopment #earlyintervention #parentingtips #childdevelopment #speechdelay #mentalhealthawareness #specialneedsparenting #toddlertalk #playbasedlearning #communicationskills #parentsupport

2 days ago
2 days ago
19 min
Some losses arrive with a date and a time already attached. Host Sreemedha talks with Theresa Evans, a former critical care nurse and author, about what it was like to know the exact day her mother would die through Canada's medical assistance in dying program, and how she spent the three months leading up to it. Rather than let grief take over early, Theresa and her sisters chose to pour their attention into making that time a celebration of their mother's life.
This is a tender, unflinching conversation about anticipatory grief: the loss you live through before it happens, the strange gift of knowing your time is limited, and why having honest conversations about how someone wants their end of life to look can change everything for the people who stay behind.
About the Guest:
Theresa E. Evans is a former critical care nurse and the author of Choosing to Die: A Daughter's Story of Supporting Her Mother's End of Life Through Assisted Death. She spent the final three months of her mother's life supporting her through Canada's medical assistance in dying program and now writes and speaks about anticipatory grief, presence, and end-of-life care.
Key Takeaways:
Knowing the exact date someone you love will die can bring a strange gift: it can make you more present than you've ever been, because you know the moments are limited.
Making the end of someone's life "about them, not about us" means setting aside our own grief in the moment, when possible, so they don't feel they have to take care of us.
Have the hard conversation about how someone wants the end of their life to look before it's happening, not during. It gives everyone time to prepare mentally and emotionally.
Grief doesn't have to be treated as something to escape. Letting yourself feel it fully, even physically, can be part of honoring how important the relationship was.
The good memories tend to outlast the hard ones. Laughter, small rituals, and moments of closeness can exist right alongside the heaviest grief.
Families that avoid conflict and stay focused on the dying person, rather than disagreements among themselves, tend to look back with far more peace.
Connect With the Guest:
Website: https://theresaeevans.com (book available here and on Amazon)
Substack: https://substack.com/@theresaeevans
Facebook: Stone Path Press
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Cold Open: Grief That Arrives Before the Loss (approx.)
[01:00] Meet Theresa Evans: Supporting Her Mother's Final Months (approx.)
[01:40] Living Two Realities at Once (approx.)
[04:15] Becoming More Present Than Ever Before (approx.)
[08:00] Why the End of Life Should Be About Them, Not Us (approx.)
[13:30] Sinking Into Grief Instead of Running From It (approx.)
[18:30] Five Years Later: What Remains Is the Love (approx.)
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
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.
Healthy Mind By Avik™️is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.
With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.
Contact:💼 Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™📧 Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact🌐 Website: https://www.podhub.club📍 Based in: India & USA
🎧 Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork🤝 Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest📩 Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/
#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #anticipatorygrief #endoflifecare #griefsupport #medicalassistanceindying #innerhealing #mentalhealthawareness #presence #familylove #griefjourney #honoringlife #compassionatecare #lossandlove

3 days ago
3 days ago
29 min
Most of us eat breakfast while scrolling, walk without seeing, speak without listening. Host Avik talks with Matt Thomas, a poet, farmer, and engineer from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, about what it actually means to be present, and why "mindfulness" doesn't mean having an empty mind. Matt's own wake-up call came around age 48, when he realized he'd never truly held onto his youth and worried he'd reach old age with the same regret about middle age.
His answer wasn't some elaborate practice. It was simpler and harder: pay attention. To groceries, to a spouse's story about their day, to the ache in your legs after a long walk. This is a grounded, unpretentious conversation about noticing your own life while you're still living it.
About the Guest:
Matt Thomas is a poet, smallholder farmer, and engineer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He writes about home, time, and attention, and is the author of the poetry collection Disappearing by the Math (2024), with a second collection, Cicada, Dog & Song, forthcoming from Serving House Books.
Key Takeaways:
Mindfulness isn't a blank mind. Thoughts about dinner or your to-do list will still show up. The practice is letting them pass through instead of grabbing onto each one.
A useful test for whether you're actually paying attention: can you recall your day in detail at night, including how your body felt, not just what you did?
Ordinary chores and errands are where most of us check out completely. They're also the easiest place to practice noticing again.
People, especially in close relationships, often tune out the most around family. Try actually listening to what your partner or kid tells you, and quiz yourself on it later.
Setbacks are guaranteed, not exceptional. Expecting them ahead of time (the way a farmer expects things to break) makes them far less destabilizing when they happen.
There's no universal formula for a well-lived life. The real question to ask yourself daily: is there something I could change a little to bring myself more happiness, without hurting anyone else?
Connect With the Guest:
Website: https://mattthomaspoetry.com
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Cold Open: Living Life on Autopilot (approx.)
[02:15] Meet Matt Thomas: Poet, Farmer, Engineer (approx.)
[03:00] The Biggest Misconception About Mindfulness (approx.)
[06:45] The Test for Whether You're Really Paying Attention (approx.)
[10:00] Why Modern Life Encourages Autopilot (approx.)
[19:45] Where We Lose Ourselves Most: Chores and Family (approx.)
[24:30] Expecting Setbacks Instead of Being Blindsided by Them (approx.)
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
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.
Healthy Mind By Avik™️is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.
With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.
Contact:💼 Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™📧 Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact🌐 Website: https://www.podhub.club📍 Based in: India & USA
🎧 Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork🤝 Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest📩 Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/
#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #mindfulness #paycloserattention #presentmoment #innerhealing #slowliving #awarenesspractice #mentalhealthawareness #simplicity #poetryandhealing #dailypractice #intentionalliving #midlifeclarity

5 days ago
5 days ago
20 min
Most people picture life on a sailboat as sunshine and calm harbors. Host Avik talks with Alison Gieschen, a former schoolteacher and equestrian who sold everything with her husband Dan and sailed off to circle the globe, about the version most people don't picture: broken engines, dangerous inlets, and seven months stranded waiting for a spare part. Eight years and fifty countries later, Alison says the peace she found wasn't the absence of struggle. It was knowing she could handle it.
This conversation is for anyone sitting on a dream they keep putting off. Alison and her husband made the leap in their mid-fifties, with no guarantee it would work, just a plan, a list, and the willingness to start before they felt ready.
About the Guest:
Alison Gieschen is a former schoolteacher and internationally successful equestrian who, alongside her husband Dan, sold everything to sail around the world, visiting over 50 countries across five continents. She writes about the lessons of that journey and is the author of several books, including the sailing memoir series Riding the Waves of Reality.
Key Takeaways:
The freedom people imagine in a life like this isn't the absence of hard moments. It comes from trusting yourself to handle whatever the hard moment turns out to be.
If you're waiting for a dream to feel less risky before you start, that feeling may never fully go away. Alison and her husband left in their mid-fifties with a plan, not a guarantee.
Turn a big dream into something workable: set a timeline, however long you need, and build it out into concrete lists you can actually check off.
You're not too old. Alison has met sailors in their 70s and 80s living the same lifestyle. If you're physically and mentally able, age isn't the barrier it feels like.
Constant change can actually be grounding once you adapt. Alison describes happiness as a state of mind you carry with you, not something tied to a specific place or plan going right.
When setbacks hit, and they will, knowing they're part of the deal in advance makes them easier to sit with. Research what you're getting into so the hard parts don't blindside you.
Connect With the Guest:
Author website (books, newsletter): https://alisongieschen.com
Sailing blog: https://sailmates.org
YouTube: Sailing Equus (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoWlRF2iuCXPNG8AkiYW-aA)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailmates_on_equus/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sailmates.org/
Episode Chapters:
[00:00] Cold Open: Selling Everything to Let the Ocean Become Home (approx.)
[01:45] Meet Alison Gieschen: From Horse Farm to Sailboat (approx.)
[02:10] The Biggest Misconception About Sailing Around the World (approx.)
[06:20] How a Sailboat Race Turned Into a Marriage and a Dream (approx.)
[09:15] Freedom Through Struggle, Not the Absence of It (approx.)
[13:30] Staying Grounded Through Constant Change (approx.)
[16:10] How to Actually Start Moving Toward Your Own Dream (approx.)
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatchDM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
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.
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