Healing Chronic Illness, Self-Abandonment & Coming Home to Yourself

The moment I stumbled across Nitika Chopra’s Truth Talks column on Substack, I was instantly pulled in. Her courageous vulnerability stood out in a space that often feels filtered and performative. I was immediately curious: what’s the root of this kind of strength, clarity, and embodied self-love?

I discovered that Nitika had spent years navigating life with multiple chronic illnesses — including psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and myasthenia gravis — all while trying to find answers inside a broken medical system.

Her healing journey wasn’t linear or shiny — it was layered, painful, and, as she says, a pilgrimage. One that led her back home to herself.

Since then, Nitika has built a life and career grounded in radical self-trust, authenticity, and purpose. She’s:

• The founder of Chronicon, a movement and event series centering people with chronic illness
• The creator of The Chronicon Foundation, which expands access and equity in healthcare and wellness
• A powerful writer and storyteller, sharing deeply on her Substack Truth Talks
• A mentor and guide to others navigating healing through her Life Mastery Incubator

In this powerful conversation, we explore:

• The emotional and spiritual toll of living with chronic illness
• How grief, shame, and emotional abandonment shaped Nitika’s early identity
• Her journey through codependency, misalignment, and self-abandonment
• The practices that helped her reclaim her body, voice, and boundaries
• Why ancestral healing, nervous system work, and self-belonging were keys to her recovery
• The difference between authentic sharing and overexposing yourself online

🔗 Connect with Nitika:

• Substack: The Truth with Nitika Chopra
• Instagram: @nitikachopra
• Chronicon: chronicon.co

Have a question you’d love me to explore on the show?

🎙️ Send your voice note here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YWLTheDeepWell

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What if motherhood wasn’t just something you do, but something you become? In this deeply validating conversation, I’m joined by the incredible Jesse Harold—coach, doula, and author of MotherShift—to explore the often-overlooked transformation known as matrescence: the radical, messy, beautiful evolution of becoming a mother.

We talk about what it really means to navigate this identity shift, why the “bounce back” narrative is damaging, and the real reasons so many of us feel like we’re failing. From invisible labor and motherhood rage to the systemic pressures that leave moms under-resourced and overburdened, we go all the way in.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:59 Understanding Matrescence
• 07:22 The Evolution of Motherhood
• 15:03 The Concept of Self-Tending
• 29:30 Systemic Challenges in Modern Motherhood
• 56:44 Understanding and Validating Motherhood Rage
• 01:03:26 The Mental and Emotional Load in Partnerships
• 01:21:12 Empowering Mothers and Transformation Literacy

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✨ Want more than just our podcast drops?✨

Join The Well Circle on Substack! Inside you’ll receive:

• FREE access to the Your Well Life Podcast Premium with exclusive episodes
• Monthly video trainings (also available audio only podcast style) with simple but powerful practices to support your nervous system, realign your rhythm, and bring more ease to your every day
• Unfiltered Voice-note shares to help you feel less alone in the mess and magic of motherhood
• Access to our private chat space for real conversations and connection with our community
• Access to optional 1:1 support sessions for when you need extra care

Join us here: https://mishanicolevayner.substack.com/subscribe

🎙 Have a question you’d love me to explore on the show?

Send me a voice note — I’d love to hear what’s on your heart. I’ll respond in a future episode with trauma-conscious guidance, real talk, and tools to support you. 💛 Send it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/YWLTheDeepWell

Connect with our Guest Jessie Harold!

www.jessieharrold.com

Grab her book: Mothershift

https://www.jessieharrold.com/mothershiftbook/

Check out her 3-month Mothershift support program!

https://www.jessieharrold.com/mothershift/

🔥 Grab our workshop ‘The Art of Thriving’ Method!

A proven, trauma-informed system to help you break free from burnout, overwhelm, and survival mode—so you can finally feel nourished, energized, and in flow with your life.

https://mishavayner.kit.com/products/the-reclaim-thrive-method-a-trauma-informed-

👩‍💻 Grab the FREE Align & Thrive Workbook!

A gentle, guided workbook to help you reconnect with yourself, build rhythms that feel good in your body, and bring more ease to your everyday life.

Support the show

In this raw and resonant episode, Misha sits down with Jyoti Chand — South Asian writer, creator, mother of three, and the voice behind the debut graphic novel Fitting Indian — for an honest conversation about mental health, cultural belonging, and breaking cycles.

Together, they explore what it means to grow up between two cultures, the pressure to be the “perfect Indian daughter,” and how humor, storytelling, and healing work helped Jyoti reclaim her identity and voice.

We dive deep into the inspiration and process behind Fitting Indian— a bold and beautiful book that centers mental health, sexuality, and self-worth in a South Asian teen's life.

From sobriety and sensory overload to parenting, shame, and self-acceptance, this episode is full of truth, resonance, and the kind of brave storytelling that changes lives.

🔥 Topics We Cover:
- Growing up Desi in America: identity, assimilation & shame
- How *Fitting Indian* was born — and why the graphic novel format mattered
- The realities of depression, cutting, and alcohol use in adolescence
- Sobriety and navigating social pressure without labels
- The stigma around mental health and sexuality in South Asian communities
- How Jyoti’s mom reacted to the book (and the healing it opened up)
- Raising emotionally safe, self-connected kids
- What it means to be a cycle-breaker, content creator, and real-life “cool mom friend”

📚 Grab Your Copy:
Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand — available now wherever books are sold!
https://a.co/d/8SU4s1L

👀 Connect with Jyoti:
Follow @mamajotes on Instagram or visit www.mamajotes.com

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Subscribe to the premium version of the podcast for exclusive, locked episodes that go beyond the surface.

💛 For $8/month, you’ll unlock: Hidden episodes with deeper insights not shared anywhere else

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✨ Want more than just podcast drops?✨

Join The Well Circle on Substack—Misha’s private community space for deeper healing, sisterhood, and ongoing support.

Inside you’ll receive:

- 💛 Monthly video trainings with simple, powerful practices
- 🌀 Raw voice-note reflections to guide you through real life
- 👭 Access to our private chat space for real conversations and connection
- 🧘‍♀️ Optional support sessions for when you need extra care

Join us here: https://mishanicolevayner.substack.com/subscribe

✨Have a question you’d love me to explore on the show?✨

Send me a voice note — I’d love to hear what’s on your heart. I’ll respond in a future episode with trauma-conscious guidance and tools to support you. 💛
https://www.speakpipe.com/YWLTheDeepWell

✨Grab our workshop ‘The Art of Thriving’ Method!✨

A proven, trauma-informed system to help you break free from burnout, overwhelm, and survival mode—so you can finally feel nourished, energized, and in flow with your life.

https://mishavayner.kit.com/products/the-reclaim-thrive-method-a-trauma-informed-

✨ Grab the FREE Align & Thrive Workbook!✨

A gentle, guided workbook to help you reconnect with yourself, build rhythms that feel good in your body, and bring more ease to your everyday life.

https://mishavayner.kit.com/1ab67f6044

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In this episode, I sit down with Neha Ruch — founder of The Power Pause (formerly Mother Untitled) and author of the USA Today bestselling book, The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids — and Come Back Stronger Than Ever.

Neha’s work is transforming how we think about motherhood, ambition, and identity in a world that often asks women to shrink themselves into boxes that no longer fit.

We explore what it means to claim agency, reconnect to self-worth, and expand the narrative for modern mothers — whether you’re working full-time, taking a pause, or figuring it out one step at a time.

This one will resonate deeply if you’ve ever felt caught between “doing it all” and wanting to do it your way.

🔑 Key Takeaways / Topics Covered:

• Neha’s journey from Silicon Valley to starting Mother Untitled and why she rebranded to The Power Pause
• What it really means to take a career pause — and why it’s often misunderstood
• The emotional cost of invisible labor and the pressure to justify your choices as a mom
• Why ambition doesn’t go away in motherhood — it just shifts form
• The impact of societal judgment and lack of supportive structures (like paid leave and childcare) on working mothers
• Powerful reframes for redefining success through each season of motherhood
• How to return to work in a way that feels empowered and aligned — not apologetic
• Reflections on redefining productivity, ambition, and enoughness in a culture that often measures us by outdated metrics

✨ Your Well Life just got an upgrade. ✨

Subscribe to the premium version of the podcast for exclusive, locked episodes that go beyond the surface.

💛 For $8/month, you’ll unlock:

• Hidden episodes with deeper insights
• Soul-led reflections not shared anywhere else

Subscribe now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384460/subscribe

✨ Want more than just podcast drops? Join The Well Circle on Substack

Inside you’ll receive:

• 💛 Monthly video trainings with simple, powerful practices
• 🌀 Raw voice-note reflections to guide you through real life
• 👭 Access to our private chat space for real conversations and connection
• 🧘‍♀️ Optional support sessions for when you need extra care

Join us here: https://mishanicolevayner.substack.com/subscribe

🎙 Have a question you’d love me to explore on the show?

Send me a voice note — I’ll respond in a future episode with trauma-conscious guidance and tools to support you. 💛

https://www.speakpipe.com/YWLTheDeepWell

Episode Resources:

Connect with Neha!

Sign up for her newsletter and check out her free resources on www.motheruntitled.com

🔥 Grab our workshop ‘The Art of Thriving’ Method!

A proven, trauma-informed system to help you break free from burnout, overwhelm, and survival mode.

https://mishavayner.kit.com/products/the-reclaim-thrive-method-a-trauma-informed-

👩‍💻 Grab the FREE Align & Thrive Workbook!

A gentle, guided workbook to help you reconnect with yourself and bring more ease to your everyday life.

https://mishavayner.kit.com/1ab67f6044

✉️ Join our free email list

For insider tips, soul spills, and first dibs on offers straight to your inbox.

https://mishavayner.kit.com/600d3fb48a

Support the show

So you finally choose truth over comfort…

You walk away from what no longer fits—

The job, the relationship, the way you’ve been performing in the world—

And then what?

In this raw, unfiltered solo episode, I take you inside the messy, often invisible chapter that comes after choosing yourself. The part no one warns you about. The abyss. The unraveling. The awkward, unglamorous rebuild.

This is the part where you’re no longer who you were, but not quite who you’re becoming. And it takes everything: trust, discernment, patience, nervous system resilience, and a deep honoring of your own pace.

We talk about:

• The emotional whiplash of the “trust fall”
• Why choosing truth often makes life harder before it gets easier
• The sacred pause of the abyss (and why it matters)
• How to navigate the urge to “go back” just for comfort
• Reclaiming your voice and creative expression after burnout
• The real work of rebuilding in alignment—not urgency
• Creating a shame-free space for women to be witnessed in the in-between

This episode is for the woman standing at the edge, the one who already jumped, or the one wondering if she’s the only one who feels like everything got harder after doing the “right” thing.

You're not broken. You're becoming.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• 📬 Join the Substack: Your Well Village on Substack – for weekly Soul Spills & sacred storytelling
• 🎧 Listen to my episodes with Coss Marte + Jaclyn Shaw for more stories of trust, resilience, and nonlinear success
• 💌 Submit a question to be answered on the show: Leave me a voice note
• ⭐️ If this episode resonated, please rate + review—it helps so much.

Episode Resources:

👩‍💻 Grab the FREE Align & Thrive Workbook!

https://mishavayner.kit.com/1ab67f6044

Connect with Misha on IG!

@mishavayner

Support the show

In this soulful episode, Misha reconnects with intimacy coach and tantra practitioner Sarah Chizek for a deep and juicy conversation on emotional alchemy, intimacy in relationships, and syncing with the natural rhythm of your cycle.

They explore how emotional release work can be a powerful tool for healing, how to communicate desires openly in long-term partnerships, and how cycle syncing can support energy, clarity, and overall well-being. Sarah weaves in practical tips, personal stories, and client insights that make these practices feel both accessible and transformative.

This episode is your permission slip to tune into your body, speak your truth, and live in sync with your inner wisdom.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 – A warm welcome and catching up with Sarah
• 02:30 – Emotional release work and how it’s transformed us
• 04:56 – Processing painful emotions in safe, healthy ways
• 10:11 – Creating intimacy and staying vulnerable in long-term love
• 14:29 – A look into erotic blueprints and how they shift relationships
• 30:50 – Tapping into self-connection and everyday pleasure
• 38:12 – Navigating the ups and downs of relationship dynamics
• 39:52 – Understanding trauma responses in yourself and others
• 43:23 – Balancing masculine and feminine energy in parenting
• 45:17 – Sarah’s intro to cycle syncing and why it’s a game changer
• 47:39 – Real-life ways to align your schedule with your cycle
• 52:06 – Embracing rest, redefining self-care, and slowing down
• 01:03:40 – Releasing shame and cultivating body love
• 01:08:10 – Final thoughts and Sarah’s current offerings

Episode Resources:

Sara offers in-person tantric healing sessions and online coaching for women, men, and couples on their journeys to deeper intimacy and self-discovery. You can book a free discovery call with her at sarachizek.com

👩‍💻 Grab the FREE Align & Thrive Workbook!

https://mishavayner.kit.com/1ab67f6044

✉️ Join our FREE email list with insider tips and soul spills!

https://mishavayner.kit.com/600d3fb48a

⭐Leave a 5-star review if you love the podcast!

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Support the show

In today's episode, you’ll learn how to lead from your truth and create a soul-led life, even when it defies logic, and the path forward is unclear.

If you’ve ever felt like your way of being doesn’t fit into the conventional molds of business or life—or if you’ve been called to live in deeper alignment with your own truth, this episode is for you.

Jak Shaw is here to share her journey of building a 7-figure spiritual mentorship business, unschooling her children in Costa Rica, and deepening her marriage after rupture—all through radical devotion to her inner knowing. Jak is a mentor and spiritual teacher who activates her clients’ deepest wisdom, guiding them to live unapologetically in their truth. Through her work, women experience profound transformation—not by following rigid frameworks, but by returning to their own knowing.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Jak embraced her 6-line Projector energy to lead unapologetically and soulfully in her life and business
• Her journey from traditional business models to living and leading in full devotion to her inner knowing
• How she navigated financial uncertainty and leaned into trust when there was no evidence
• The sacred journey of rebuilding trust and intimacy in her marriage after infidelity
• Her experience with unschooling her children in Costa Rica and living life on her own terms
• The process of writing her book, staying true to her story, and refusing to dilute her truth—even when others told her to

This isn’t about following someone else’s blueprint. It’s about tuning into your own divine wisdom, reclaiming your truth, and trusting it so deeply that it becomes your guidepost, no matter what the outside world says.

You’ll walk away from this episode inspired to honor your own knowing, embrace the unknown, and lead from a place of full embodiment.

Find Jaclyn Shaw on IG here and listen to her podcast, The Jaclyn Shaw Show here, for more powerful conversations on truth, embodiment, and living unrestrained.

01:33 Meet Jacqueline Shaw: Activating Your Voice and Power

02:16 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Trust

07:07 The Power of Storytelling and Shared Experiences

12:41 Navigating Judgment and Staying True to Your Path

37:55 Navigating Financial Instability with Trust

38:43 Investing in Mentorship and Business Growth

39:56 Breaking the Cycle of 'Just Enough'

42:45 Manifesting Dreams Against All Odds

44:01 Addressing Criticism and Embracing Truth

✨ The Deep Well is open!

Craving more behind-the-scenes stories, personal insights, and personal Q&A with Misha?

Join The Deep Well — her private space for deeper connection, unfiltered wisdom, and real-time support.

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🎙️ Send your question to Misha: https://www.speakpipe.com/YWLTheDeepWell

Episode Resources:

👩‍💻 Grab the FREE Align & Thrive Workbook!

https://mishavayner.kit.com/1ab67f6044

✉️ Join our FREE email list with insider tips and soul spills!

https://mishavayner.kit.com/600d3fb48a

⭐Leave a 5-star review if you love the podcast!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384460

Support the show

Today’s episode is a soulful deep dive into the real, raw, and wildly inspiring world of motherhood, purpose, and presence with my dear friend Kanika Chadda Gupta — a powerhouse former CNN anchor turned purpose-led entrepreneur, podcaster, and mom of three (including twins!).

Kanika is the voice behind That’s Total Mom Sense, a top-ranked parenting podcast that’s featured everyone from Kelly Rowland to Chelsea Clinton. But in this conversation, we go behind the brand — into the quiet inner wisdom, the burnout, the self-doubt, the knowing, and the “get to” moments that have shaped her journey.

We talk about:

• What “Mom Sense” really is — and how to reclaim it
• How to stay connected to your dreams and intuition (even while sleep-deprived)
• The subtle shift from “I have to…” to “I get to…”
• Navigating ambition without abandoning yourself
• How Kika built a media brand and podcast empire with three kids and no full-time help
• Tuning into purpose through meditation, dreams, and vision boards
• Tips for speaking powerfully, building presence, and reclaiming your voice

This one’s for the mamas who’ve ever felt torn between ambition and motherhood, exhaustion and purpose, or survival and soul.

📍 Kanika's warmth, wisdom, and wit will remind you: you’ve got this.

Because you’ve always known.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction

03:17 The Birth of 'Total Mom Sense'

05:42 Understanding and Trusting Mom Sense

08:34 Personal Journey: Overcoming Challenges

16:37 Manifesting Dreams and Vision Boarding

26:14 Balancing Motherhood and Career

31:10 Embracing AI for Productivity

31:43 The Power of Positive Support

32:32 Mastering Communication Skills

36:58 The Importance of Mentorship

44:29 Balancing Life and Work

47:41 Current Inspirations and Recommendations

50:57 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts

✨ The Deep Well is open!

Craving more behind-the-scenes stories, personal insights, and personal Q&A with Misha?

Join The Deep Well — her private space for deeper connection, unfiltered wisdom, and real-time support.

🎙️ Join for $10/month: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384460/subscribe

🎙️ Send your question to Misha: https://www.speakpipe.com/YWLTheDeepWell

Episode Resources:

Connect with Kanika!

@kanikachaddagupta

👩‍💻 Grab the FREE Align & Thrive Workbook!

https://mishavayner.kit.com/1ab67f6044

✉️ Join our FREE email list with insider tips and soul spills!

https://mishavayner.kit.com/600d3fb48a

⭐Leave a 5-star review if you love the podcast!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384460

Support the show