288. Inhale, Exhale, Shoot - Teaching Kids to Breathe Through Big Feelings

How a Teen and Her Mom Turned Breathwork Into a Book for Kids. This episode shares the story of how a teen and her mom turned breathwork into a book for kids. Inhale, Exhale, Shoot is a beautifully illustrated children's book born from a mindful mother-daughter collaboration. Co-written by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Holly MacKenna and her 13-year-old daughter, Maeve Graffanini, the book is a gentle guide to teaching kids mindfulness through the language of basketball, breath, and big emotions. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or someone passionate about helping children regulate emotions, this conversation offers a fresh, creative way to connect. It's a powerful reminder that when we pause to breathe, we open the door to presence, empathy, and resilience for children and ourselves. We also explore how creative projects, especially ones shared across generations, can become meaningful tools for healing, growth, and impact. Pearls of Wisdom: Teaching kids to breathe through big feelings is one of the most powerful lifelong gifts we can offer. What looks like anger in children is often something deeper like fear, anxiety, or overwhelm. Mindfulness helps us meet the root emotion. Creative metaphors, like basketball, can make mindfulness more accessible, relatable, and fun for kids. Co-creating a book strengthened Holly and Maeve's relationship and helped them navigate life's significant transitions together. Mindfulness isn't just a solo practice but something we can model, share, and co-create with those we love. Reflection Questions: When a child in your life has a big emotion, how do you usually respond? Could a breath shift the interaction? What projects or practices bring you closer to your children or your inner child? How might you integrate creative mindfulness practices into your family or classroom? Stay for the mindful moment at the end, where you'll be invited to enjoy a few breaths with us.     If you would like to donate a copy of Inhale, Exhale, Shoot to a child who needs it, you can do so this month for just $15 at susanschadtpress.com. Maeve and her school's service club are hand-delivering these books to shelters in New Orleans—mindfulness in action. If you would like to order a copy as a holiday gift, the book is available on Amazon or at susanschadtpress.com.  For those craving a reset and deeper embodiment of these practices, join me for a retreat where mindfulness, rest, and healing come alive in community. Upcoming dates are at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats. To bring these kinds of mindful, compassionate conversation to your organization, team, or conference, Dr. Mahoney offers keynote talks and workshops on emotional awareness, leadership, and well-being. Visit www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking. Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang also offers breath-centered workshops and speaks on mindfulness and medicine. Learn more about her work at www.awakenbreath.org. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

It's complicated when love and medical expertise collide. In this deeply personal and heartfelt episode, I share the story of becoming a grandmother—twice over—to beautiful twin girls born at home. As a pediatrician, this choice was outside the guidance I was trained to give. Yet, it was fully aligned with my son and daughter-in-law's values. This experience, and others like it, have invited me into profound reflection on what it means to love fully while letting go of control. We explore how to navigate the emotional terrain of being a doctor when family members, adult children, aging parents, and siblings make health decisions that differ from our training or advice. This episode is a powerful guide for healthcare professionals who find themselves caught between the desire to protect and the practice of presence. Whether your expertise is welcomed or dismissed, this conversation is about staying connected, grounded, and compassionate, even when it's complicated. Pearls of Wisdom: Medical advice and love are not the same and withholding advice can sometimes be the most loving choice. Connection is medicine. Staying in a relationship often matters more than being "right." Your role in your family isn't to be "the doctor,"  AND  it's hard for our minds to step out of being "a doctor." When your medical expertise isn't invited or followed, your role is to love, connect, and stay present simply. Offering guidance is not always loving and sometimes withholding advice is the greater gift of compassion and trust. Mindfulness allows us to notice our urges to control, advise, or correct and choose connection instead. Letting go of being "right" opens space for peace, gratitude, and trust in both the medical process and our loved ones' autonomy. Cultural, generational, and spiritual influences often shape health decisions and awareness of these differences can invite compassion and curiosity. Practicing mindful boundaries in families allows for more ease, trust, and authenticity. Reflection Questions: Where do you feel the urge to protect, control, or advise and what is that urge trying to offer you? What might shift when you ask yourself: What would love do? What would trusting your loved one, or yourself, look like in this moment?   If this episode speaks to you, and/or you find yourself exhausted from being the expert in your family or navigating strained medical dynamics with those you love, I invite you to explore coaching or join me on retreat. Together, we can untangle the emotional weight of "doctoring" your loved ones and find a more easeful way forward: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats If you'd like to bring this conversation to your institution, team, or medical conference, I offer speaking and workshop opportunities that bring the themes of this episode—mindful connection, autonomy, and healing—into the workplace: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking To invite Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang to speak or lead mindfulness offerings, visit: www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

What if the holidays could feel spacious, nourishing, and connected? This episode offers a strengths-based perspective on holiday dynamics—focusing less on what goes wrong and more on the mindful choices that cultivate ease, joy, and connection, even amidst grief, change, and complexity. We share what helped us experience Thanksgiving with ease this year.  Our experiences were quite different, and yet a shared approach grounded in intention, space, simplicity, and trust led to remarkably peaceful gatherings. Whether you're anticipating difficult family moments, feeling the ache of absence, or simply longing for more presence, we hope this conversation brings clarity and peace. Pearls of Wisdom: Speaking early and clearly about what matters shifts the energy of gatherings. Grief and joy can coexist—and allowing grief makes more room for peace. Space (mental, emotional, physical) supports nervous system regulation and connection. Letting go of rigid plans often makes things flow better. Flexibility and boundaries are both acts of love. Reflection Questions: What would a spacious, easeful holiday look like for you? What expectations are you willing to soften or let go? Where might more trust, flexibility, or rest make a difference? If this episode resonated… We invite you to take this work deeper.  Coaching with me offers personalized support to create space, peace, and purpose in your life—through the holidays and far beyond. Learn more here: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching For a truly transformative experience, consider joining me on retreat in 2025: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

Many of us carry shame and anxiety around money and stories we've inherited, absorbed, or unconsciously lived into. Mindfully acknowledging our stories is the first step toward freedom. Money is emotional, relational, and often a mirror of what matters most in life. Awareness of your money "story" creates spaciousness for something more compassionate. This week, Jessie is joined by Helena Rosenthal, MBA, MPH, and Nikki Macdonald, CFP®, financial advisors from Northwestern Mutual who specialize in supporting women and women-led households.  Mindfulness and money are powerful partners. Thoughtful awareness transforms how we save, spend, and invest.  Learning to trust yourself with money is a practice. Financial safety doesn't come from overthinking but from clarity, planning, and presence. Reflection Questions: What story were you taught about money growing up? What feelings arise when you think about money? Are they guilt, fear, shame, or hope? If money weren't an issue, how would you spend your time? What would change if you approached your finances with compassion and curiosity rather than fear or judgment? If you'd like support to integrate what you heard today into your life, coaching is a powerful place to begin. You can explore working with me here: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching To experience this kind of reflective work in a beautiful and nourishing setting, join me at a retreat: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats If you'd like to bring this kind of mindful conversation to your team, institution, or conference, reach out to explore having me speak: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking To learn more about Dr. Liang's work or invite her to speak, visit: www.awakenbreath.org Helena and Nikki offer a complimentary 30-minute session that's thoughtful, values-aligned, and designed to help you begin with ease. *Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

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 www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching and www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats. 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: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking Ni-Cheng Liang, MD: www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

What if there isn't one right way to do things, but many? Letting go of being right can open the door to creativity, flexibility, and even liberation. This episode offers a mindful and compassionate reframe: seeing our approaches as preferences—shaped by our experiences, values, and identities.  Pearls of Wisdom: • Softening into the idea of preferences fosters collaboration, both in medicine and at home. • Mindfulness helps us notice when judgment or irritation is a sign of unmet preferences. • Letting go of the need to be 'right' invites deeper trust, compassion, and innovation. • Seeing differences as diversity—not wrongness—can transform teams, relationships, and institutions. Reflection Questions: • Where in your life are you attached to doing things the "right way"? • How might it feel to see your way as simply your preference? • Whose preferences might you be overlooking at work or at home? • What would it look like to honor your own preferences without needing agreement? • How might this create more peace and possibility in your relationships? If you'd like support shifting from perfectionism to preference, or from rigidity to freedom, we would love to work with you. Jessie offers 1:1 mindful coaching and retreat experiences that integrate exactly these insights—visit www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching and www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats to explore upcoming options. End-of-year CME can be available with virtual coaching. We also speak and teach on these topics to healthcare teams, medical institutions, and professional conferences. To bring this mindful conversation about preferences, teamwork, and connection to your organization, learn more about inviting us to speak: Jessie Mahoney, MD: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking Ni-Cheng Liang, MD: www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

Peace and joy await when you allow others to make their own decisions, even if you think they are bad decisions.  It is deeply freeing and surprisingly energizing when you stop trying to fix other people.  Pearls of Wisdom: Letting go of trying to fix others not giving up—it's trusting others to be on their own journey. Trying to manage, fix, or protect everyone is a hidden source of burnout and energy depletion. Showing up with "loving amusement" rather than control is a powerful act of mindful compassion. The gesture of "hands wide open" brings curiosity, calm, and even play into the present moment. Choosing peace often looks like not engaging, not defending, and simply saying: "How interesting." Reflection Questions: Where am I over-functioning in my relationships or at work? Where can I release control and choose presence and curiosity instead? What might it feel like to meet life with hands wide open? What do I notice when I stop managing and fixing?   If this episode resonated with you, explore coaching at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. Join an upcoming retreat at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.  They are both beautiful opportunities to cultivate authenticity, presence, and peace. If you'd like to bring this work to your team, institution, or conference, I would love to speak or lead a workshop. You can reach out through www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking.  Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang is also available for speaking engagements via www.awakenbreath.org. Thank you for listening and being part of this community. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

Exhaustion and disconnection don't always stem from doing too much, often they stem from pretending too much. In today's episode, we explore surprising truths about energy, authenticity, and what it really means to show up as yourself in medicine and in life.  What if the path to healing, for ourselves and for others, comes from standing out, not blending in? Conformity has a significant cost. Deep-seated energy leaks often stem from hiding our true selves.  We hope you will take us up on the invitation to uncover and embrace the most radiant, wholehearted version of you. Pearls of Wisdom: Authenticity is the most efficient and sustainable way to manage your energy. Conforming and performing often disconnects us from joy and purpose. Your originality and uniqueness are not liabilities because they are your greatest offering. Standing out with sincerity makes you a beacon of safety and belonging for others. Peace and presence are found not in perfection, but in being whole. Reflection Questions: Where in your life do you feel most like your authentic self? Where do you find yourself performing or people-pleasing, and what does that cost you? What would it feel like to walk through your day radiantly, peacefully you– without apology or armor? If this conversation speaks to your heart and you're ready to live, lead, and love with more authenticity, we invite you to join us for a mindfulness-based retreat: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.  For personalized support, explore coaching at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. If you'd like to bring this message to your team, organization, or conference, reach out to have us speak or lead a workshop: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking. Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang is also available for speaking through her site: www.awakenbreath.org. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

Empowerment isn't about pretending everything is fine; it's about remembering that we always can choose our response. Today, Dr. Jessie Mahoney and Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang explore the healing power of choice. We share how we can shift from complaining into creativity and how we can move from victimhood to agency, mindfully. We invite you to stop waiting for permission or for the system to fix itself, and instead to lead with integrity, clarity, and love. While we can't fix the entire system, we can always choose how we show up within it.   That is where true healing begins. Pearls of Wisdom • Empowerment is not toxic positivity, it's remembering our response-ability, our ability to choose how we meet what is. • A growth mindset asks, "What now?" even when circumstances feel stuck or unfair. • Boundaries are an act of love, not rebellion. They protect our empathy and preserve our capacity to care. • Micro-agency, tiny acts of intentionality throughout the day, rebuilds trust in ourselves and renews energy. • Shifting from complaining to creativity transforms not just us, but the culture around us.  Reflection Questions Where do we have choice, even if it's seemingly small? What would it look like to lead with agency today? How can we show up as a lighthouse in healthcare, rather than a rescue raft? If this conversation resonates, I invite you to explore coaching with me to help you name and shift patterns of disempowerment in your life and career: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching You can also join me at a Pause & Presence Retreat. A nurturing, transformational space to reconnect to what matters most: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats If you would like to bring a more mindful, compassionate approach to your institution, team, or training program, I'd be honored to speak or lead a workshop: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking You can also invite Dr. Liang to speak or lead a breathwork workshop for your group: www.awakenbreath.org Together, one mindful choice at a time, we can shift the culture of medicine. *Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

A mindful, honest, and hopeful exploration of victimhood in medicine—what it is, how it shows up, and why so many of us feel trapped, powerless, and unseen within a deeply flawed system. We invite you to listen with curiosity and self-compassion, knowing that if you've found yourself here—tired, discouraged, or resigned—you are not alone, and nothing is wrong with you. Rather than shaming or simplifying, we offer this conversation as a compassionate mirror and a naming of what's real with clarity, awareness, and care.  We unpack moral injury, systemic betrayal, learned helplessness, and the quiet culture of resignation that seeps into even the most well-intentioned among us. Naming where we are is the essential first step to healing. This is part one of a two-part series. In this episode, we shine a mindful light on the roots of victimhood. In part two, we will offer mindful paths forward from powerlessness to purpose.   Pearls of Wisdom: Victimhood is not weakness, it's a human, protective response to chronic dysfunction. And it's not where you want to live. Naming victimhood with empathy, not judgment, allows us to reclaim agency, even within a broken system. Noticing where we give away our power is the first mindful step toward healing and change. Systemic "solutions" like suggestion boxes may unintentionally reinforce helplessness unless paired with authentic engagement and choice.   Reflection Questions: When have you felt the most powerless in medicine? What helps you feel safe and what erodes that sense of safety? What would it mean to believe that you still have influence, even in a broken system?     Don't miss the Mindful Moment at the end of this episode. It's an opportunity to ground, reflect, and reconnect to your inner wisdom with clarity and compassion. If this conversation resonates, I invite you to explore coaching with me to help you name and shift patterns of disempowerment in your life and career: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching You can also join me at a Pause & Presence Retreat—a nurturing, transformational space to reconnect to what matters most: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats If you would like to bring a more mindful, compassionate approach to your institution, team, or training program, I'd be honored to speak or lead a workshop: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking You can also invite Dr. Liang to speak or lead a breathwork workshop for your group: www.awakenbreath.org Together, one mindful conversation at a time, we can shift the culture of medicine. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.