Healing Medicine: Mindfulness, Mindset & Physician Well-Being

Mindfulness, mindset, and sustainable well-being—not as another task to add to your plate, but as a way to experience life, love, medicine, and leadership differently. The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. Same hosts, same mission, same conversations — new name. Dr. Jessie Mahoney and Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang share practical strategies, coaching tools, and real conversations to help you feel more present, fulfilled, and in control. When physicians are healthy and well, we become powerful agents of change. The podcast explores burnout, mindfulness, leadership, and sustainable careers in medicine. It helps physicians reclaim balance, leadership, and a love for medicine—one mindful step at a time.

311. There Are No Shortcuts to a Life Well Lived 05/03/2026

311. There Are No Shortcuts to a Life Well Lived What happens when you've done all the right things, built the life you were supposed to build, and something inside you still won't settle? This episode is for the physician whose inner self feels restless. You'll hear Ni-Cheng share the raw truth of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 31 and what her body was trying to tell her. Jessie tells the story of the day she handed in her resignation and felt sick instead of relieved. You'll meet the concept of expansion anxiety — the feeling that you've lost your mind when really you're just growing — and the idea of jumping into cold water with a life preserver. You'll leave with permission to stop using struggle as proof of your strength and to let the easy parts be easy. "There are no shortcuts to a big life. There are many shortcuts to a life that looks big on the outside, but is killing you on the inside." - A line, from Enia Oakes' 108 Notes from a Studio in Oakland, is the heart of this episode. Pearls of Wisdom If you don't choose who you're becoming, circumstances choose for you. Not choosing is still a choice. Jump but with a life preserver. When you feel untethered, it often means you're growing. Let the easy parts be easy. The person you become will catch you when you fall — if you've taken good care of her. Reflection Questions If you were building your life on purpose starting today, what would stay and what would go? Where are you taking shortcuts to a life that looks big but doesn't feel like yours? What life preservers do you already have, and what do you still need before we jump? Closing Invitation If you are in a season where your old life isn't quite fitting and the new one hasn't yet taken shape, you are not lost — you are in the liminal space where real change happens. I'd love to support you there through coaching, a retreat, or a free live-stream mindful yoga class. 1:1 Coaching: CME Wellness Retreats: Free Live-Stream Mindful Yoga: The PAUSE (my blog): Listen to other episodes of the Healing Medicine Podcast page: Referenced in this episode: with Enya Oakes on 108 Notes from a Studio in Oakland : What Would Love Do? The Question We're Not Asking Join Jessie and Ni-Cheng for the Connect in Nature Retreat at Nicasio Creek Farm: . Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/41127180

310. What Shuts Down Curiosity (and What Brings It Back) 04/26/2026

310. What Shuts Down Curiosity (and What Brings It Back) Do you know what you want? Not what is expected. Not what comes next on the list but what you actually want. For many of us, curiosity has been crowded out by pressure, productivity, and the conditioned belief that we should already know the answer. In this episode, we explore what curiosity needs to grow, what gets in its way, and how to start creating the conditions for more of it. PEARLS OF WISDOM • Curiosity does not grow well under pressure. It grows in specific conditions, and those conditions can be understood, created, and practiced. • For most physicians, curiosity has been pushed aside by urgency, productivity, perfectionism, and the belief that we should already know the answer. • Curiosity is physical, not just intellectual. Noticing how it feels in the body — openness, energy, flow, aliveness — gives us clues about how to create more of it. • Solving and fixing mode is the opposite of curious mode. Clarity, creativity, and connection show up when there is more room, not more thinking. • What we practice grows. Small, repeated conditions for curiosity matter more than one big breakthrough. Reflection Questions What conditions help curiosity grow for us, and what shuts it down most quickly? Where do we feel more open, more creative, and more like ourselves? What role do nature, community, and white space play in our own clarity? What strengths in us might be asking for more room right now? If this episode resonated, and you are in a season of figuring out what is next — or simply wanting to feel more alive and connected to what you love — curiosity is the place to start. Listening to podcasts is a wonderful way to begin. Putting yourself in environments that support curiosity is where things shift. The Connect in Nature Retreat that Ni-Cheng and I co-lead is happening again this summer. It is designed around exactly what we talk about in this episode: space, nature, community, embodiment, and room for curiosity to grow. Retreats at Nicasio Creek Farm offer the same optimal conditions. Coaching, one-on-one or in small groups, is another way to explore what you are asking for more room in your life. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/41015815

309. AI as a New Language: Practical Tools for Physicians and Small Business Owners 04/19/2026

309. AI as a New Language: Practical Tools for Physicians and Small Business Owners Many of us have had frustrating experiences with AI — not because we lack intelligence or willingness, but because no one has translated it in a way that makes sense for how we actually work and live. This is part two of a conversation with my son Slade about using AI in mindful, practical ways. We talk about real use cases — reviewing a lease, finding a job, making a blog findable, writing show notes — and what it actually takes to communicate clearly with a tool that cannot read your mind. What emerged is something we did not expect: the skills that make AI work well are the same skills we teach in coaching. Get clear on your end goal. Offer the right context. Know where your own judgment and voice still matter. PEARLS OF WISDOM • AI cannot replace your authentic voice. Its output is never you, and that is where your value and job security live. • Communicating well with AI requires the same skills as communicating well with humans — clarity, context, and knowing your desired outcome. • AI can amplify your work and help people find you, but the creative and human parts still belong to you. • Knowing what AI can and cannot help with brings simplicity and reduces the overwhelm of endless possibilities. Reflection Questions Where in our work or life might AI save us energy on tasks that are not our unique gift, so we can protect time for what is? What would it look like to approach AI the way we approach learning a new language — with patience, curiosity, and a willingness to ask for help? Where might we be avoiding AI out of frustration rather than true limitation, and what would one small experiment look like? If you are curious about using AI in a more grounded, intentional way, Slade now offers sessions to help you build your own relationship with these tools. You can find him at . Slade will also share his wisdom and answer questions in a live Zoom session for the Mindful Healthcare Collective and Pause & Presence. April 24th, 9:30 am Pacific Register here: He will share a practical, grounded, and mindful approach to AI. You will leave able to relate to it more easily, effectively, and efficiently — so you can spend more time on what matters most in your practice, your business, and/or your life. This session will be clear, honest, and jargon-free. No technical background required. About Slade Slade Mahoney is an AI consultant and strategist based in San Diego — and the son of Dr. Jessie Mahoney, founder of Pause and Presence Coaching and Retreats. He got into this work because he believes AI should make us more human, not less. Too many brilliant, accomplished people are spending their most valuable hours on things that have nothing to do with why they became brilliant and accomplished in the first place — the emails, the scheduling, the follow-ups, the research — tasks that have nothing to do with why they built something of their own. The work that means most to him is helping people like his mom: smart, accomplished people who are curious about what AI can do and want to explore it for their business, their work, or their life. In his career, he has built AI tools for organizations ranging from small businesses to Kaiser Permanente, The Walt Disney Company, and the CDC — giving him a rare view into how AI is actually being deployed at every level and what it means for the rest of us. He works one-on-one with physician entrepreneurs and small business owners — teaching them how to use AI to build real tools for their businesses and get back to the work only they can do. Find him at aiwithslade.com (). And if you are a physician who wants support in a deeply human space — through coaching, retreats, yoga, or simply being in community with other physicians who understand — I would love to connect with you. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/40923115

308. AI for Skeptics: A Grounded Conversation for Physicians 04/12/2026

308. AI for Skeptics: A Grounded Conversation for Physicians What if your hesitation around AI is not a problem, but a reflection of how much you care? Have you noticed how thoughtful, conscientious people imagine the worst-case scenario when something new arrives? Could it be that some of the fear around AI is less about the tool itself and more about our stories about it? And what if you do not need to love it to change your relationship with AI? This is part one of a two-part conversation with Jessie’s son, Slade, about AI — not the technology itself, but the feelings it evokes and the stories we tell about it. We explore why AI feels so charged for physicians and high-achieving women, and how we might relate to it with more awareness, discernment, and self-compassion. PEARLS OF WISDOM • Hesitation around AI is often not a lack of intelligence or willingness — it is a reflection of how much we care about doing things well and doing them right. • Physicians are trained to anticipate risk and forecast danger. Sometimes we misapply that training to situations where curiosity would serve us better than caution. • AI is a tool. How we interact with it depends on slowing down, asking ourselves the right questions, and deciding how we want to show up. • The one thing AI does not have is a soul. Original, heart-centered, authentically human work will become more valuable, not less. • Everyone needs support learning this — even people who seem like they already understand it. There is no shame in asking for a guide. Reflection Questions What feelings come up for us when we think about AI — and how might we begin to shift from catastrophizing into discernment? Where are we resisting, rather than showing up with curiosity? How do we want to relate to AI in a way that is aligned with our values and protects our energy for what matters most? This is part one of a two-part series. In the next episode, Slade and I dive into the practical side — real use cases, real tools, and how communicating with AI is a lot like learning a new language. If you are a physician looking for support in navigating change — whether it is AI, career, identity, or how you want to show up in medicine and in life — I would love to connect with you. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/40814600

307. Technical Difficulties: Showing Up with Grace, Compassion, and Mindfulness for the Unexpected 04/05/2026

307. Technical Difficulties: Showing Up with Grace, Compassion, and Mindfulness for the Unexpected What if the unexpected is not an interruption, but an invitation? Have you noticed how quickly a small technical difficulty become a full-on nervous system event? Could it be that some of our frustration is less about what went wrong and more about the stories we tell about what it means? What if we could meet these moments — the glitches, the delays, the disappointments — with a little more awareness, grace, and compassion? Technical difficulties are part of modern life. The microphone breaks, the internet fails, the slide deck disappears. Things go sideways, and suddenly we find ourselves frustrated, urgent, and judging ourselves. This episode explores what happens inside us when things do not go as planned — and offers a gentler, more grounded way to respond. PEARLS OF WISDOM • Technical difficulties show us our patterns of reactivity and our patterns of responding to stress. They are invitations to notice, not just fix. • When something unexpected goes wrong, our nervous system often responds before our thinking brain catches up. Pausing to notice the body, name the emotion, and observe the story can soften the moment. • Letting something be imperfect is not the same as not caring. Sometimes choosing presence over perfection is actually caring more. • Impermanence applies to technology, too. A broken thing is not always just broken. It might be a marker of all that has been lived through it. • We can choose acceptance where acceptance is needed, and action where action is possible. The wisdom is knowing the difference. Reflection Questions What kinds of unexpected disruptions tend to activate you the most quickly? What do you notice in rour body and thoughts when something goes wrong that you did not plan for? Where in your life are you spending energy trying to fix things that might need acceptance instead? Have you ever discovered tenderness, meaning, or beauty in something ordinary when it breaks? This episode offers a gentler lens for the next time something does not go according to plan - in medicine, in life, or on a Zoom call. If you are looking for a community that practices exactly this kind of presence, These classes blend coaching, neuroscience, mindfulness, and an incredibly warm community of women who have been practicing together for six years. You can also where we practice all of this in real life, in nature, together. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/40732970

306. The Case for Coaching in Modern Medicine: Sustainable Excellence Requires Different Skills 03/29/2026

305. Strategies to Lessen the Costs of Decision Making 03/22/2026

304. From Empty Nest to Connection: An Orthopedic Surgeon’s Retreat Story 03/15/2026

303. What Happens When Physician Spouses Step Away Together 03/08/2026

303. What Happens When Physician Spouses Step Away Together What happens when physician spouses step away from the pace of medicine and make space to slow down together? In this episode, Drs. Angela Wong and Doug Conrad join us to explore how rest, reflection, and shared experience can help us reconnect with ourselves, our relationships, and the deeper reasons we practice medicine. They reflect on attending The Connect in Nature Mindfulness Retreat at Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center together as a physician couple and share what it was like to step away for a few days, reconnect with each other, and remember what matters most beyond the roles and demands of daily life in medicine. They talk about perfectionism, the hidden cost of constant productivity, and how slowing down can restore perspective, compassion, and connection. In this episode, we discuss: How Drs. Angela Wong and Doug Conrad, physician spouses, experienced stepping away together as a physician couple How rest and reflection can deepen connection in relationships The hidden cost of constant productivity in medicine How perfectionism can shape both work and home life What it feels like to receive care rather than always provide it Why shared experiences outside medicine can strengthen physician relationships How mindful movement, rest, breath, and nourishment influence patient care Pearls of Wisdom Shared experiences outside the clinical environment can strengthen physician partnerships and help us see one another as people, not just colleagues in a busy life. Slowing down is not indulgent. It creates the space needed to reconnect with ourselves, our partners, and the deeper reasons we practice medicine. Perfectionism often masquerades as professionalism in medicine. Letting go of that inner judge can restore both well-being and relationships. The practices we experience personally—mindful movement, nourishment, rest, and breath—often become the most authentic tools we bring to patient care. Reflection Questions What might shift if you intentionally created time to slow down with a partner or loved one? Where in your life might you be moving so quickly that you have stopped noticing how you actually feel? How might releasing the need for perfection allow more compassion toward yourself and others? What small daily practice could help you reconnect with your breath, body, and sense of agency? Resources and ways to connect Website: Awaken Breath: Retreats: Yoga: Blog: Podcast: If this conversation resonates, we would love to welcome you to a future retreat where we explore rest, mindfulness, and connection in community with other physicians. The next Connect in Nature Mindfulness Retreat is July 30–August 1, 2026. Nothing shared on the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/40347675

302. A Big Energetic Pivot: Wood Snake Wisdom to Fire Horse Momentum 03/01/2026

301. Relationship Wisdom: What 40 Years of Love Has Taught Me 02/22/2026

300. What Do You Want to Be Known For? A Tool to Reclaim Your Identity and Establish Boundaries 02/15/2026

299. Fun Filter: Deciding What Lights You Up (Co-Released with Dr. Melissa Parsons) 02/10/2026

299. Fun Filter: Deciding What Lights You Up (Co-Released with Dr. Melissa Parsons) A conversation about living through a “fun filter.” What does it looks like to let joy, ease, and alignment guide our decisions instead of obligation, striving, or outdated beliefs? A special co-released episode with Dr. Melissa Parsons, fellow retired pediatrician, coach, and kindred spirit. Together, we reflect on our own transitions out of pediatrics, how we’ve redefined success, and the freedom that comes when we allow ourselves to change, grow, and choose what lights us up. We also share honest moments about parenting adult children, reimagining purpose, and how sometimes the most meaningful transformations begin when we stop pushing and start listening. If you’ve been wondering what gets to be “enough,” this episode offers a gentler compass. In this episode, we explore: What a “fun filter” is (and what it isn’t) Redefining success after leaving a long-held identity Why we don’t have to earn rest, joy, or white space How change can be a sign of being fully alive Letting alignment and impact coexist Pearls of Wisdom Choosing what’s fun is not frivolous and can be freeing. You don’t have to earn rest, white space, or joy. Change doesn’t make you flighty because it means you’re alive. Fun and impact can coexist. “Enough” isn’t a milestone; it's a mindset. Reflection Questions: What currently feels fun, easy, or light in your life? Where might you be holding onto old definitions of “success” or “productivity”? What might open up if you trusted fun as a valid reason to say yes—or no? Resources & Links: Enjoy these Mindful Yoga Classes about Fun Coaching: Retreats: Speaking/Workshops: Dr. Melissa Parsons: melissaparsonscoaching.com Listen to Melissa’s podcast, Your Favorite You: Melissa Parsons, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, who practiced in Columbus, Ohio for 22 years, retiring in 2021. She became interested in coaching in 2017, recognizing that she liked her life, but she did not love it, and could not figure out why. Coaching helped her create a life she never dreamed possible. Melissa started her business, Melissa Parsons Coaching, in May 2020, and she has not looked back since, except to help other amazing women learn to love themselves and their lives, too! Melissa hosts a popular podcast called Your Favorite You,. She runs a group coaching program by the same name for small groups of women looking to become their favorite versions of themselves, often by treating themselves as they would a best friend. Disclaimer: Nothing shared on the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/40060685

298. What Are You Waiting For? Physician Burnout and the Cost of Waiting 02/08/2026

298. What Are You Waiting For? Physician Burnout and the Cost of Waiting We have been taught to wait as a measure of professionalism. We delay rest, joy, and alignment because medicine taught us that patience equals commitment. Many of us are still waiting long after training ends, hoping the system will change. This waiting can feel loyal, responsible, even virtuous. Over time, it quietly costs us our presence, our health, and our lives. PEARLS OF WISDOM • Waiting is not neutral. It often preserves systems that rely on our overfunctioning and silence. • Many of us are not waiting because it is right, but because we were trained to believe it is required. • The system is not always broken; sometimes it is functioning exactly as designed. • Agency begins when we stop waiting for permission and choose alignment, even in small ways. • Fear often shows up when we stop waiting, and fear does not mean we are wrong. Reflection Questions: Where in our lives have we normalized waiting that no longer feels aligned? What are we postponing because we believe now is not the right time? What might become possible if we stopped waiting for permission? Who benefits from our waiting, and who bears the cost? CLOSING INVITATION This conversation is not about leaving medicine. It is about staying in medicine without disappearing ourselves in the process. Many of us were trained to endure quietly and trust that relief would come later. What we are exploring instead is the possibility of choosing ourselves now, even gently and imperfectly. Coaching and retreat spaces are one way we practice this shift together. Not to fix ourselves, but to remember that our lives matter now, not someday. We are allowed to live full lives alongside meaningful work. If coaching, a retreat, or an intentional pause feels supportive, notice what comes up when you consider not waiting. Often, the only thing standing between us and alignment is the permission we can give ourselves. Find out about 1:1 coaching with Dr. Jessie Mahoney: Learn about Jessie’s small group coaching programs: Join Jessie at Nicaiso Creek Farm CME Wellness Retreats for Women Physicians or Jessie & Ni-Cheng at the COED Connect in Nature Mindfulness Retreat at Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center. *Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. Other useful links to explore: • National Academy of Medicine – Clinician Well-Being • University of Arizona Integrative Medicine /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/40031530

297. Why Women Physicians Are So Good at Doing Too Much 02/03/2026

297. Why Women Physicians Are So Good at Doing Too Much In honor of National Women Physicians Day 2026, this episode, Why Women Physicians Overfunction (and How to Start Doing Less Without Guilt) is an invitation to notice overfunctioning with compassion. Overfunctioning may have helped you succeed in medicine—but it often costs intimacy, energy, and connection. We explore overfunctioning and underfunctioning as relational dynamics, not personality flaw. When one person consistently does more, the system adapts: others do less, resentment grows, and “holding it all together” becomes a role that feels hard to step out of. We talk about why doing less can be an act of love—creating space for relationships and systems to reorganize—especially when you start by tending to your own nervous system instead of stabilizing everything around you. If you’ve been asking, “Why am I always the one who handles it?” this conversation offers a grounded place to begin. In this episode, we cover Why overfunctioning isn’t a flaw—it’s a role shaped by training, culture, and context How overfunctioning/underfunctioning patterns form in relationships and teams Resentment as information (often pointing to over-capacity) “Doing less” as a path to clarity, growth, and alignment Why change begins with your nervous system Pearls of Wisdom Overfunctioning is a relational role developed in response to internal and external expectations. When one person consistently does more, others often do less; systems adapt that way over time. Resentment is information. It often signals over-capacity. Doing less can be an act of love that allows relationships to reorganize. When we stop stabilizing what’s falling around us and tend to our nervous systems first, change begins. Reflection Questions Where in your life are you doing more than your share simply because you are capable? What feels most uncomfortable about stepping back? What might happen if you rest or stop managing? What would love do this week in your relationships or at work? Work with Jessie Mahoney Coaching + retreats: Speaking: or Mindful Love Small Group Coaching (intimate relationships) Leading from the Heart + Transition Well Small Group Coaching (career/life pivots, leadership) Retreats + advanced coaching (moving beyond overfunctioning across your life) Work with Ni-Cheng Liang Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang: The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. Nothing shared on this podcast is medical advice. Other Healing Medicine Podcast episodes specifically relevant to Women Physicians you may want to explore: These episodes explore the inner experience of women physicians—without pathologizing it. 293. When Feedback Feels Threatening: Nervous System Wisdom for Women Physicians 292. When Physicians Stop Believing in Themselves: Burnout, Skepticism, and the Hidden Cost 290. The Overs, the Toxics, and Why Awareness Alone Isn’t Enough 269. You Were Never Meant to Carry It All: Healing the Eldest Daughter Effect 259. What Are You Proud Of? A Conversation About Worth, Identity, and Redefining Success 154. Move Beyond Imposter Syndrome These episodes highlight connection, culture shift, and the idea that “you don’t have to carry this alone.” 275. The Power of an Introduction: How Women in Medicine Can Change Lives and Culture Through Connection 281. Be Radiantly You: The Antidote to Exhaustion and Judgment 263. It’s Okay to Have Fun: The Evolution of a Happy Doctor (with Dr. Beni Seballos) 262. Standing Tall in Surgery: Finding Fulfillment Outside the Mold (with Dr. Jenny Kang) 261. From ER Burnout to Soulful Living: Enia Oaks on Poetry, Pause, and Healing These episodes give practical frameworks for agency, boundaries, and sustainability. 289. How to Take Intentional Action So You Don’t Burn Out 280. From Powerless to Purposeful: Reclaiming Choice and Agency in Medicine 279. Victimhood in Healthcare: Naming the Problem with Empathy and Truth 282. The Art of Not Fixing People 278. Finding Peace by Letting Go of Fixing, Managing, and Controlling 285. Mindfulness + Money: Rewriting Financial Stories for Physicians 239. Breaking the Over Helping Habit: Valuing Your Expertise as a Woman Physician /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39980520

296. When the World Feels Unsteady, Choose Intention Not Panic 02/01/2026

296. When the World Feels Unsteady, Choose Intention Not Panic We are not here to pretend this is fine. We are here to help you get steady enough to choose how we respond. When fear narrows your thinking, you can come back to the body first. Regulate first. Respond second. In this conversation, Ni-Cheng and I name the collective fear, grief, exhaustion, moral distress, minority stress, and racial trauma. These are real, lived experiences that shape safety in our bodies. When we are activated, our wise brain is harder to access. That is when we send the text, make the decision, or take the action from urgency instead of intention. This episode offers practical micro-tools that work in real life. The breath, a longer exhale, box breathing, 4-7-8, orienting to safety by feeling the ground under our feet, and hand to heart are ways to physiologically downshift. Yoga is too. Read more about this topic in Jessie Mahoney's blog: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/jessies-blog/what-would-love-do-when-the-world-feels-unsteady PEARLS OF WISDOM • A dysregulated nervous system makes urgency feel like truth. Regulation gives us back clarity, choice, and values-based action. • Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn are adaptive responses. We can name our defaults without judging, then choose the next step. • Moral distress, grief, anger, numbness, and exhaustion are normal human responses to instability. Nothing is wrong with you. • Trauma and minority stress live in the body. When safety feels threatened, hypervigilance and shutdown make sense. • We do not have to do everything. We choose a lane of helping that matches our capacity and sustains us over time. Reflection Questions: When you feel activated, what is your default—urgency, over-functioning, numbness, shutdown, or fawn? What helps you return to the green zone —long exhale, feet on the ground, hand to heart, movement, nature? Which lane of helping feels like desire and alignment, and which lane feels like guilt or over-responsibility? If your future self looks back five years from now, what do you hope you feel proud of in how you showed up? If we want to practice these tools in community, especially in nature, explore our offerings here: The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39947750

295. How to Stay Connected to Yourself When the World Feels Heavy - Peace Begins With You 01/28/2026

295. How to Stay Connected to Yourself When the World Feels Heavy - Peace Begins With You Practicing peace is an intentional choice. It’s not something we wait for once circumstances improve. It’s something we practice in our breath, our bodies, and our awareness—even while uncertainty and grief remain present. In this episode, we explore peace as a regulated presence with what is real (not denial, not bypassing). When the world feels overwhelming, we often notice it first in our bodies: urgency, vigilance, reactivity. Nervous system regulation is a skill for sustainable medicine and a sustainable life—and small, consistent embodied practices can interrupt spinning and bring us back to ourselves. We also talk about why community matters: coaching, yoga, mindfulness, and retreats can offer structure, support, and repetition—so these tools become lived practices. In this episode, we cover: What “practicing peace” actually means (and what it’s not) How uncertainty shows up in the body Simple embodied tools that support regulation Why small practices ripple outward into relationships and culture How community supports steadiness and agency Pearls of Wisdom Peace begins with you. Regulation is a skill for sustainable medicine and life. Small, consistent embodied practices interrupt reactivity. Internal peace ripples outward into our families, workplaces, and communities. Reflection Questions What does your body need to feel even a little more settled today? What is within your control right now, even if it is very small? If “peace” doesn’t resonate, what word feels supportive right now: peace, kindness, love, connection, or something else? Practices mentioned “Peace Begins With Me” finger-tapping mantra Grounding through the feet Restorative yoga Sound healing Mindful time in nature Links Individual + group coaching: Nicasio Creek Farm retreats: July 2026 Connect in Nature Mindfulness Retreats: Disclaimer Nothing shared on the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. The Healing Medicine Podcast was formerly known as the Mindful Healers Podcast. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39905715

294. What Giving a TEDx Talk Taught Me: Choosing Love Over Control 01/25/2026

294. What Giving a TEDx Talk Taught Me: Choosing Love Over Control Giving a TEDx talk taught me a lot about nervous system regulation, self-trust, and choosing love over control. In a medical culture that rewards certainty and discourages vulnerability, visibility is a nervous system challenge. Standing on a red circle requires staying present when every instinct says to hide. Through the question “What would love do?”, this episode offers a grounded framework for decision-making, leadership, and communication that integrates data, values, and human emotion. It is an invitation to choose integrity and presence when outcomes are uncertain and what we carry matters. PEARLS OF WISDOM • The questions we ask shape the answers we receive. Fear-based questions rarely lead us where we want to go. • “What would love do?” is not sentimental or self-sacrificing; it is grounded, honest, and committed to doing no harm, including to ourselves. • Physicians are trained to equate control with safety. • Visibility and vulnerability are nervous system challenges, not character flaws, and they can be practiced with intention. • Choosing love often means choosing discomfort in service of what matters most. Reflection Questions: Where in your life are you trying to manage or control when a different question might bring clarity? What decisions feel heavy right now, and how might they shift if you asked, “What would love do?” Where are you being invited to tolerate discomfort so something meaningful can grow? How might your work, relationships, or leadership change if you asked what love would do? CLOSING INVITATION Giving this TEDx talk deepened my trust in the question that has quietly guided my life and work for years. It reminded me that love stays present even when outcomes are uncertain, and that choosing reach over ease is often part of meaningful contribution. Please listen to the full TEDx talk here: Please share it and spread love-based decision-making far and wide. It is more needed than ever right now. You sharing the talk is the way it will reach those who really need to hear it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you want to learn how to use this tool in your own life, join me for coaching or a retreat. *Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39864450

293. When Feedback Feels Threatening in Medicine: Nervous System Skills 01/18/2026

292. When Physicians Stop Believing in Themselves: Burnout, Skepticism, and the Hidden Cost in Medicine 01/11/2026

292. When Physicians Stop Believing in Themselves: Burnout, Skepticism, and the Hidden Cost in Medicine Physicians are trained to believe that skepticism keeps us safe and belief is generally risky. Over time, this quietly erodes trust in ourselves and what might be possible. What once felt protective can slowly narrow our lives and choices. Stuckness, disconnection, and a subtle loss of feeling alive grows. PEARLS OF WISDOM Medical culture often rewards certainty while sidelining imagination, hope, and belief. • Not believing in ourselves can feel protective, yet it frequently keeps us confined to versions of life that no longer fit. • Belief is not naïve optimism. It is a skill and a gift that can be practiced and borrowed when our own feels unsteady. • Imagining what is possible, even without a clear path, is essential for healing, leadership, and sustainable change. • Practicing belief does not abandon logic or science. It creates the spaciousness and courage to move toward alignment. Reflection Questions Where have we organized our lives around not believing, perhaps to avoid disappointment? What have we stopped believing in, and what did that belief once offer us? Who has offered us borrowed belief, and how did it feel to receive it? What might it look like to risk a small disappointment in service of something more alive or more true? If you are ready to gently begin believing again, mindfulness and coaching offer grounded places to start. Slowing down allows us to notice where fear has shaped our choices and where belief may still be quietly present. Whether you are navigating burnout, transition, or a longing for more meaning and spaciousness, coaching and retreat spaces can support this remembering. They all offer a compassionate, practical way to reconnect with belief and possibility. Enjoy a yoga class on this topic on Jessie’s YouTube channel - Read more about this topic on Jessie’s Blog - The Connect in Nature Retreat is also a meaningful space to rediscover awe, wonder, and belief—in ourselves and in what is possible. Partners and colleagues are encouraged to join. Shared experiences often deepen connection and clarity. If we would like to bring this work into our organizations, Dr. Liang and I both offer speaking and workshop experiences that support belief, healing, and connection in healthcare and beyond. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39685850

291. The Practice of Choosing Intention Words 01/04/2026

291. The Practice of Choosing Intention Words Have you ever considered how a few carefully chosen words could shape your year, your energy, your decisions, and the way you experience life? In this annual tradition, we share our personal practice of choosing intention words for the year ahead. This isn't about goals or resolutions. It's about choosing how you want to be, move through, and live your life. This year’s process was deeper, slower, and more nuanced than in past years. Intention words act like a GPS for your nervous system. They offer clarity and direction through challenge, and how the right words if chosen with care can become some of your most transformative tools for personal and professional growth. Whether you’re new to this practice or returning to it, you’ll find inspiration, permission, and a deep sense of possibility. Pearls of Wisdom: Intentions are not goals, they’re a mindful orientation. They work at the nervous system level to support aligned action and self-compassionate growth. Choosing multiple words (including a stretch word) adds richness and dimension. Life is complex, and your words can meet that with grace. Words should feel aligned, not performative. Let go of judgment, and choose words that support the version of yourself you’re growing into. Words are powerful tools for decision-making. Ask yourself: Will this make me feel wealthy, healthy, strategic, or exquisite? This practice is most powerful when done with intention, over time, and often with support. It’s subtle but profoundly transformative work Reflection Questions: How do you want to feel at the end of next year? What do you want to experience emotionally, physically, and in your relationships? What version of yourself are you growing into? What does she wear, how does she lead, how does she make decisions? If you'd like support in choosing your own intention words and integrating them into your year, I offer this process within all of my 1:1 coaching and group programs. This work is gentle, profound, and truly life-changing. If this episode resonates and you're ready to lead your life, your relationships, or your team more strategically, bravely, and exquisitely—join me in a coaching container or at a retreat. Explore retreats at Learn about coaching at If you'd like to bring this mindful approach to your team or conference, I’d be honored to speak or lead a workshop. Learn more at For Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang’s speaking and workshops, visit Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39602230

290. The Overs, the Toxics, and Why Awareness Alone Isn’t Enough 12/28/2025

290. The Overs, the Toxics, and Why Awareness Alone Isn’t Enough What if the very things you’re hard on yourself about are actually strengths that are simply overused? In this solo episode, I invite you to step into a new understanding of your patterns without judgment or shame. Explore the "overs" and the "toxics" which are the subtle (and not so subtle) ways our best traits become burdens when they’re overdone. If you’ve ever been told you’re too much, felt depleted by the traits that once helped you succeed, or wondered why awareness alone isn’t shifting your patterns, this episode is for you. Pearls of Wisdom: Many of your “admirable” qualities such as achievement, responsibility, or independence can become draining when taken too far. There’s nothing wrong with you; you’re just overdoing what once worked. Naming the “overs” (like overthinking, overdoing, overfunctioning) and the “toxics” (toxic productivity, toxic independence) brings both awareness and relief. It’s not about fixing yourself; it’s about finding your way back to balance. Awareness alone doesn't shift entrenched patterns. Real change happens in relationships with yourself, your nervous system, and others who can reflect your patterns back to you compassionately. Reflection Questions: What are you over right now? Which of your strengths has become emotionally or energetically expensive? What might become possible if you moved beyond consuming and started engaging with this work in a deeper, more embodied way? If you’re ready to move beyond listening and into transformation, join me for small group coaching or a nourishing retreat. Both are designed to help you unwind the “overs” and move from depletion to aligned ease. Learn more at: If you’d like to invite me or Dr. Liang to speak or lead a workshop for your team, institution, or conference, learn here: Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39522880

289. How to Take Intentional Action Without Burning Out 12/21/2025

289. How to Take Intentional Action Without Burning Out As we celebrate five years of the Healing Medicine podcast, this episode is a reflection on what has truly sustained us—intention, alignment, and choosing with awareness. Together, we explore how consistency rooted in love, not obligation, leads to energy, creativity, and sustainability. We share personal stories about letting go, taking pauses, and returning to what feels alive. This conversation is also a joyful announcement: our Connect in Nature Retreat is returning July 30–August 2, 2026. It’s a decision made not out of expectation, but because we missed it, and because we chose it again. Whether you're feeling weary from “pushing through” or simply curious about a gentler way to stay committed, this episode offers a new lens and a powerful invitation to rechoose, realign, and return to yourself. Pearls of Wisdom: Sustainability isn’t about willpower, it’s about choosing with presence and letting alignment lead. Feelings of resistance or resentment are gentle cues to pause, reevaluate, and possibly release. Healing happens when we release the pressure to perform and give ourselves permission to rest and evolve. Fun, ease, and joy aren’t frivolous, they are wise signals of what’s truly aligned. Spaciousness, non-judgment, and collaboration support the longevity of meaningful work. Reflection Questions: Where in your life are you being consistent by force, rather than by choice? What would it feel like to choose instead of push? Which commitments feel alive and which might be asking for a pause, a shift, or a graduation? Where could more lightness or joy gently be welcomed in? Why Connect in Nature is a Different Kind of Retreat Connect in Nature is unlike any other retreat I offer. It is the only opportunity to work in person with both Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang and Dr. Jessie Mahoney. It’s intentionally designed for healers, physicians, and wellness professionals who crave a reset rooted in nature, mindfulness, and joy. Held at the Green Gulch Zen Center just north of San Francisco, you’ll be surrounded by eucalyptus groves, redwoods, gardens, and the quiet beauty of the California coast. Here’s what makes it special: Nature as co-teacher: Forest bathing, beach meditation, and fog hikes support nervous system healing. Freedom to choose: All practices are optional and guided with non-judgment—you participate in what serves you. Spaciousness: Core retreat hours are 10:30–3:30, with optional morning offerings and space for rest, reflection, or local exploration. Inclusive and welcoming: Open to all genders and professions—bring a partner, a colleague, a friend, or come solo. Choose your own lodging at local inns, allowing for private rest and personal integration. This retreat isn’t about pushing yourself. It’s about letting nature and mindfulness gently bring you home. Join us July 30–August 2, 2026 at Green Gulch Zen Center. And yes—it’s over my birthday weekend, and there’s no better way to celebrate than in community, in nature, and in joy. Retreat details + registration: Our Birthday Wish is to Help More Healers Find This Work As part of celebrating five years of the Healing Medicine podcast, we’d love to ask for your help in spreading this healing ripple even further: If this podcast has supported you... Please leave us a written review and a 5-star rating on your favorite listening platform. It helps others find the show and tells the algorithms to share this with more people who need it. Recommend it to a friend or colleague. Send them your favorite episode. Share it in your Facebook group, department, or residency class. Let someone know how it’s helped you—that personal sharing is how this work continues to grow. This podcast was born out of love, and continues because of you. We are so grateful you are here. If you're longing for more intention and joy in your life and career, I invite you to explore mindful coaching with me: To bring this kind of healing to your institution, department, or medical team, learn more about my speaking offerings: Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang also offers powerful keynotes, workshops, and wellness sessions through We would love to meet you this summer in the redwoods, and help you reconnect to what’s truly meaningful. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39483460

288. Teaching Kids to Regulate Big Emotions: A Mindful Mother-Daughter Story 12/16/2025

287: When Family Health Decisions Conflict with Medical Training 12/14/2025

287: When Family Health Decisions Conflict with Medical Training Loving our families while holding medical expertise is profoundly complicated. We are trained to assess risk, give guidance, and prevent harm. When family health decisions differ from our training, our physician role collides with love and can lead to fear, grief, frustration, and/or an urge to intervene. In this episode, we explore how mindfulness can help us stay grounded and connected when letting go feels hardest. We reflect on the difference between love and advice, the challenge of stepping out of the “doctor” role within our families, and the practice of choosing presence and compassion even when our expertise is not invited or followed. We also consider how cultural, generational, and spiritual influences shape health decisions, and how mindful boundaries can support more ease, trust, and authenticity in our relationships. In this episode, we discuss: Why medical advice and love are not the same How family health decisions can activate fear, urgency, grief, and control The challenge of not being “the doctor” in our families Why connection often matters more than being right How mindfulness helps us pause before correcting, advising, or intervening The role of curiosity when cultural, spiritual, or generational values shape healthcare choices How boundaries support trust, authenticity, and peace Pearls of Wisdom Medical advice and love are not the same, and withholding advice can sometimes be the most loving choice. Connection is medicine, and staying in relationship often matters more than being right. Our role in our families is not to be “the doctor,” even though stepping out of that identity is deeply challenging. When our medical expertise is not invited or followed, presence and compassion still matter. Mindfulness helps us notice urges to control, advise, or correct and choose connection instead. Letting go of being right can open space for trust, gratitude, and peace. Cultural, generational, and spiritual influences shape health decisions, and awareness invites curiosity and compassion. Practicing mindful boundaries within families supports ease, authenticity, and deeper trust. Reflection Questions Where do you feel the urge to protect, control, or advise, and what is that urge trying to offer you? What shifts when you pause and ask yourself, “What would love do here?” What might trusting your loved ones, or ourselves, look like in this moment? Resources and next steps When you feel exhausted from being the expert in your family, mindfulness and coaching can offer a different path forward. These practices help you untangle the emotional weight of “doctoring” the people you love and support more easeful, connected relationships. Join me for coaching: A retreat: Hore me to speaking or share a workshop To invite Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang to speak or lead mindfulness offerings: Related KevinMD articles by Dr. Jessie Mahoney Related KevinMD podcasts by Dr. Jessie Mahoney Nothing shared on the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39397580

286. Holidays With Heart: What Actually Works 12/07/2025

285. Mindfulness + Money: Rewriting Financial Stories for Physicians 11/30/2025

284. Brilliantly Bad Ideas: Humor, Resilience, and Staying Sane in Medicine’s Most Absurd Moments 11/23/2025

284. Brilliantly Bad Ideas: Humor, Resilience, and Staying Sane in Medicine’s Most Absurd Moments Misguided ideas surface in healthcare settings all the time. With warmth and loving amusement, we reflect on how these initiatives—often wrapped in corporate optimism—miss the mark. yet don’t have to steal our peace. Brilliantly bad ideas aren’t about you and tehy don't have to steal your peace. They're structural, impersonal, and often just disconnected from the day-to-day reality of clinical life. We invite you to laugh with us, reflect, and most importantly, not to take them personally. Pearls of Wisdom: • Bad ideas often come with good intentions—they’re usually more about systemic gaps than personal disrespect. • You get to choose how much energy to bring to these initiatives—humor and grace are powerful tools. • “Wellness” programs often miss the mark because they don’t reflect the lived reality of those they're meant to support. • Expecting and accepting mismatched ideas can bring lightness—and maybe even loving amusement. Reflection Questions: • What is your favorite “brilliantly bad idea?" • How might you use humor to help you when the next one comes your way? Please send us the brilliantly bad ideas you have witnessed. We would love to hear them! If you're navigating burnout, frustration, or the absurdities of healthcare, we offer coaching, retreats, and workshops to help you find clarity, compassion, and joy again. Jessie offers 1:1 coaching and mindful retreats designed to bring back peace, purpose, and presence in your work and life. Learn more at and . CME is available for most Pause & Presence offerings. If you'd like to bring humor, mindfulness, and meaning to your institution or event, we both offer also offer keynotes and workshops. Learn more here: Jessie Mahoney, MD: Ni-Cheng Liang, MD: Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. /episode/index/show/themindfulhealerspodcast/id/39131970

283. From The Right Way to a Preference List 11/16/2025

282. The Art of Not Fixing People 11/09/2025

Healing Medicine: Mindfulness, Mindset & Physician Well-Being

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