MindBodySpace

What happens when life throws something at you that you just can't undo? A diagnosis. A loss. A moment that changes everything. In this episode of the MindBodySpace Podcast, Dr. Juna sits down with Dr. Ellen O'Donnell — clinical child psychologist at Mass General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School — to talk about easily missed symptoms of Diabetes and possible screening for this disease in the near future. She also talks about what resilience really looks like when there's no going back.This isn't about "bouncing back." It's about finding your new normal and building on your strengths to move forward.What you'll learn:Why resilience is NOT about returning to who you were beforeHow to stop guilt from blocking your ability to heal and adaptWhat a "new normal" actually looks like — and how to find yoursPractical tools for parents, caregivers, and anyone navigating a major life changeHow to build resilience in your kids even through the hardest momentsWhether you're a parent, a caregiver, or someone facing your own unexpected chapter — this episode will give you real, science-backed strategies to keep moving forward.🎙️ Guest: Dr. Ellen O'Donnell, Clinical Child Psychologist, Mass General Hospital | Harvard Medical School🧠 Host: Dr. Juna | MindBodySpace Podcast📦 Relax the Soar Resilience System → Resilience is a muscle you build with daily reps — the RELAX TO SOAR™ system helps you and your family practice it, one small habit at a time.Control your time and cognitively offload your health with the 6-month RELAX TO SOAR™ system.Sign up now to get free email support with your planner:mindbodyspace.com/storeLinks:Dr. Ellen O'Donnell (MGH Child Resiliency) → https://mghchildresiliency.org/doctors/ellen-odonnell/Bless This Mess → https://www.blessthismessparenting.meHashtags: #Resilience #Parenting #ChildPsychology #Type1Diabetes #Harvard #MassGeneral #BlessThisMess #RaisingResilientKids #MindBodyMedicine #RelaxToSoar #MindBodySpace

Three simple habits from a top doctor who says you should never take swallowing or your voice for granted.You don't think about swallowing or your voice until something goes wrong — and then it's everything. In this episode, Dr. Juna talks with Dr. Peter Belafsky MD, PhD — laryngologist, Director of the Center for Voice and Swallowing at UC Davis, and co-founder of Reflux Gourmet — about the small daily habits that prevent big problems. Dr. Belafsky breaks down his three biggest levers against acid reflux, why most people don't actually need daily acid blockers, surprising facts, and a hack that could preserve your voice for life.It's a RELAX TO SOAR™ conversation about eating clean and the tiny, repeatable habits that protect the body you take for granted.The habits that prevent reflux are small, daily, and easy to forget — exactly why the RELAX TO SOAR™ system was made to keep it all on autopilot.Control your time and cognitively offload your health with the 6-month RELAX TO SOAR™ system.Sign up now to get free email support with your planner:mindbodyspace.com/storeLinks:Reflux Gourmet → https://refluxgourmet.comHashtags: #AcidReflux #GERD #SilentReflux #LPR #RefluxGourmet #VoiceHealth #Swallowing #Laryngology #GutHealth #LifestyleMedicine #RelaxToSoar #MindBodySpace

Two sisters and their methods for shifting performance nerves into joyful performances.Hina & Fiona are sisters and a world-class violin duo. They are Juilliard-trained under Itzhak Perlman and Midori, with Fiona making her New York Philharmonic debut at 16, Hina winning the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, and their debut album Dear to Us out now on Pentatone. In this episode, Dr. Juna talks with them about the mental game of performing under pressure: how to flip from your harshest critic in the practice room to your most convicted self on stage, why they refuse to lean on pre-show rituals, how they recover from a mistake mid-performance, and the adaptability that keeps them calm when nothing ever goes exactly as planned.It's a RELAX TO SOAR™ conversation about the "A" in SOAR — adaptability — Hina talks about how RELAX TO SOAR is a concept she thinks about before she walks on stage.Links:Hina & Fiona → ⁠https://www.hinafiona.com⁠Album Dear to Us (Pentatone) → ⁠https://www.pentatonemusic.com/product/dear-to-us/⁠Hina & Fiona prep and have routines that help them succeed — the RELAX TO SOAR™ system builds that same steady structure into your day.Control your time and cognitively offload your health and performance with the 6-month RELAX TO SOAR™ planner.Sign up now to get free email support with your planner:mindbodyspace.com/storeHashtags: #HinaAndFiona #ViolinDuo #StageFright #PerformanceAnxiety #ClassicalMusic #Juilliard #DearToUs #PerformUnderPressure #MusiciansMentalHealth #RelaxToSoar #MindBodySpace

What if the most powerful mental health tool isn't more therapy or a smarter app — but the right skill at the right moment?Can just ten minutes change your mental health?The first time Benji Kaveladze came on the show, that was the question. Since then he's moved to Dartmouth's Jacobson Lab, deep in the fast-moving world of AI and mental health — and he's back to tell me what the science actually shows.We get into Benji's crowdsourced "megastudy," where 7,500 people were each given one of 12 different 10-minute interventions — and two of them measurably reduced depression a full month later. What made those two work wasn't meditating for its own sake; it was learning one real, repeatable skill you can actually use in the moment. We also talk honestly about AI therapy chatbots — what they're good at and where they get risky — why forcing wellness on people tends to backfire, and why choice, agency, and even suffering are part of the real story of mental health.Benji also shares 3 things to try this week.🧠 Benji Kaveladze, PhD — Dartmouth (Jacobson Lab)If caring for your mindbodyspace has ever felt like one more big project, grab the RELAX TO SOAR™ 6 mo guided planner and📓 put your micro-habits of wellness on autopilot → mindbodyspace.com/store🎧 With Dr. Juna — Mom · MD · EdM© MindBodySpace · IG @mindbody_spaceYouTube @MINDBODYSPACETikTok @doctorjunaHere are the apps mentioned in the interview: https://soniahealth.com/https://www.myflourish.ai/https://www.talktoash.com/Here is Benji's SSIs megastudy: https://osf.io/agvh6/files/nqdteThe ones mentioned are "interactive cognitive reappraisal" and "mindful attention skills"

One motto — it only takes one yes — and the resilience habit that turned 100 rejections into a career at age 22. Simar Bajaj sent 100 cold emails to Stanford surgeons as a 16-year-old with zero research experience. One said yes — and that’s the whole philosophy: resilience isn’t about not getting rejected, it’s about reducing rejection to a task and staying in motion anyway. In this episode, Dr. Juna talks with the award-winning health journalist and incoming Stanford med student about the mindset that he had to publish over 90 peer reviewed medical papers most while an undergraduate at Harvard, publish health reporting for the New York Times, and win scholarships to Oxford and Stanford. It’s a RELAX TO SOAR™ conversation built entirely around the “TO”: try, get told no, adjust and try again. Control your time and cognitively offload your health with the 6 month RELAX TO SOAR™ system. Signup now to get free email support with your planner:mindbodyspace.com/storeMindBodySpace is hosted by Dr. Juna, Mom · MD · EdM — a Harvard-trained educator and NYU-trained physician, double board-certified in diagnostic radiology and lifestyle medicine. She’s on faculty at The Juilliard School, where she created and teaches “RELAX TO SOAR” and has taught resilience and peak-performance skills at institutions including corporations, organizations, schools, (Achievement First Charter, NYU School of Medicine, Columbia Law School), plus to tens of thousands more online. New episodes weekly — follow along and head to mindbodyspace.com/store for the RELAX TO SOAR™ Resilience System to put your wellness habits on autopilot.

I'm a technophile with a love-hate relationship with my phone — so I sat down with someone who thinks about this a lot! Gabe Montague is the founder of Mindful Makers, a Boston community that builds technology to support mindfulness instead of eroding it.This is a real conversation about using AI well. We cover what "vibe coding" actually is and how someone who has never written a line of code can start today, the projects I've built this way (a neuroscience site kids can talk to, and my sleep app), and how Gabe runs one-day hackathons where coders and non-coders build tools for their own digital wellbeing. We get honest about AI safety — what I keep off my laptop, why Gabe watches AI rather than turning it loose, and the security mistakes that are easy to make. We talk about whether kids should use AI, whether it's making us sharper or lazier, and the neurotech wearables that can read your stress (and where that gets uncomfortable). Gabe also shares how his own meditation practice began — with an app, of course!Somewhere in the middle, Gabe describes a focus idea I've started using on my own writing: setting an intention before anything else unlocks, and telling AI to pause and check in before the next step. That's the same follow-through thinking at the heart of RELAX TO SOAR the planner I printed, and name of the book I'm writing.RELAX TO SOAR(TM) is my guide to setting automatic micro-habits that actually stick. Grab the free starter at https://www.mindbodyspace.com/storeFollow along as I build the book in real time: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mindbody_space/https://www.youtube.com/@MINDBODYSPACENew episodes every other week - ish. This is Dr. Juna, wishing you and your family wellness.

That “lump in your throat” might be a symptom of something more chronic.In this episode of the MindBodySpace Podcast, Dr. Juna sits down with her own doctor, Dr. Jonathan Aviv—ENT physician, Columbia professor, clinical professor at Mount Sinai, and author of The Acid Watcher Diet.We talk about silent reflux, acid influx, and a stomach enzyme called pepsin that may sit in the throat, mouth, nose, and sinuses—and then get reactivated by acidic foods and drinks.This matters because reflux does not always feel like heartburn and chronic reflux can lead to problems benign and pre-cancerous.Sometimes it feels like:✔️ chronic cough✔️ hoarseness✔️ constant throat clearing✔️ post-nasal drip✔️ a lump in your throat✔️ waking up at night feeling like you can’t breatheDr. Aviv also explains why some “healthy” flavored drinks, sparkling waters, sports drinks, vinegar, citrus, tomato sauce, and wine can be triggers for some people—and why the solution does not have to be a miserable, restrictive diet.This is where tracking matters.Changing your diet is not just willpower. It’s pattern recognition. The RELAX TO SOAR™ planner helps you track food, sleep, stress, exercise, routines, and how your body feels—so you can start seeing what actually helps you feel better.Small changes. Real patterns. Less guessing.Explore the planner here: https://mindbodyspace.shop/pages/plannerThis is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor for individual care.#mindbodyspace #drjuna #braintalk #brainbun #parenting

You know what’s good for you. Better sleep. Less scrolling. More movement. Healthier food. More calm.So why is it still so hard to choose it?In this episode, Dr. Juna Bobby M.D., Ed.M, explains why this is not a laziness problem or a character flaw. It is a brain-under-stress problem. When your nervous system is overloaded, your brain defaults to old habits, quick rewards, and familiar coping patterns. That is why stress can make healthy choices feel harder, even when you know exactly what to do.You will learn how the Relaxation Response helps calm the nervous system, interrupt stress-driven habit loops, and create the conditions for real behavior change. Dr. Juna also walks you through simple practices to help you reset and rewire your brain for better habits, more self-awareness, and greater resilience.If you are a high-achieving parent, professional, or anyone trying to feel better without relying on more willpower, this episode will help you understand what your brain needs first.In this episode, you’ll learn:why stress makes healthy choices harderhow the brain defaults to quick fixes under pressurewhat the Relaxation Response ishow stress affects habits, self-control, and behavior changehow to start rewiring the brain through small repeated practiceshow to build healthier habits with less shame and more self-awarenessDr. Juna is a mom, medical doctor, double board-certified in diagnostic radiology and lifestyle medicine, and a Harvard-trained educator. Juna has taught resilience and peak performance tools to students, professionals, performers, and families, and her goal is to help you understand your brain so you can work with it instead of against it.Comment RELAX if you want a free download and more episodes on the RELAX TO SOAR™ method.More on RELAX TO SOAR™ planner https://mindbodyspace.shop/pages/plannerThis is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor for individual care.#StressManagement #HealthyHabits #BrainHealth #Neuroplasticity #RelaxationResponse #LifestyleMedicine #NervousSystem #BehaviorChange #MindBodyMedicine #MindBodySpace

Why does your brain feel tired, but still refuse to shut off at night?In this episode, Dr. Juna Bobby MD, Harvard trained educator, breaks down the benefits of sleep including how the brain clears waste during deep sleep, affects on mood, memory, and long-term brain health. You’ll learn why sleep is not passive rest, but an active brain state that helps with cleanup, repair, memory, and emotional regulation. Dr. Juna walks you through the science of the glymphatic system and practical ways to help you stop blaming yourself and start understanding what your brain is doing.This episode is especially for:parents dealing with bedtime battlesadults whose minds race at nighthigh achievers who push through exhaustionanyone who wants better sleep, better focus, and more resilienceYou’ll also hear the child-friendly Brain Bun version of the same idea, so you can explain sleep to a child using memorable, gentle language like think-dust, day mode, night mode, and the Sleep Cave.In this episode:what your brain is doing during sleepwhy poor sleep affects mood, memory, and cognitionhow the glymphatic system helps clear metabolic wastewhy sleep matters for long-term brain healthwhat meditation may do for brain states during the dayhow to build your Sleep Cave routinehow to explain sleep to a child using Brain Talk™️ and Brain BunThis is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor for individual care.Explore the Sleep Cave here: Dr. Juna shows you how to use Brain Talk™️ and the Sleep Cave to help adults and kids wind down more skillfully.https://www.mindbodyspace.com/sleeptipsIf this episode helps you, please share it with a parent, student, caregiver, or stressed-out adult who could use a little more Brain Talk™️ around sleep.

What helps kids stay engaged in learning—and why do some lose focus?In this episode of the MindBodySpace Podcast, Dr. Juna Bobby speaks with Tanya Wright—author and actress known for her role on the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black—about how curiosity, imagination, and engagement shape the way children learn.Tanya shares how her journey from acting to education led her to create Hairiette of Harlem, a character designed to captivate attention and help kids stay engaged—especially during a time when many children felt disconnected from learning.🧠 Brain Talk™️:Everyone learns best when their brain is engaged.From a BrainTalk™️ perspective, curiosity helps keep the brain open, attentive, and ready to learn.When kids are curious, their brain stays engaged.When curiosity is missing, learning can feel overwhelming or difficult.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN✔️ How curiosity and engagement help kids stay focused on learning✔️ How imagination supports attention and motivation✔️ Why kids need engagement—not just instruction✔️ How Tanya transitioned from acting to education✔️ Why unconventional paths can be a strengthRELAX TO SOAR™️ method:In RELAX TO SOAR™️, the “A” stands for Adaptability.Curiosity supports adaptability by helping kids stay open, engaged, and willing to learn.BrainTalk™️ tool (for Parents)Try this tonight:👉 “What made your brain curious today?”👉 “What part of this feels interesting to your brain?”The Brain Bun plush doll, books and videos help kids learn BrainTalk™️ in a simple and engaging way, so they can build the skills and habits to manage stress and prevent overwhelm.RELAX TO SOAR™️ method & planner helps teens and adults reduce stress, overcome procrastination, and build the mental and physical resilience needed to reach their highest potential.👉 Find out more: mindbodyspace.com/shopSubscribe for more BrainTalk™️ tools to help your family go from stress to focus.0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Tanya Wright - Creator of Hairiette of Harlem Actress from Netflix "Orange is the New Black"2:08 What is Hairiette of Harlem?2:38 Hairiette - A 7-Year-Old with Galactic Hair2:49 How the Idea for Hairiette Was Born10:42 Why Kids Need to Read by 3rd Grade11:22 What's Next for Hairiette16:05 Going Back to School as an Older Student18:38 How a Literacy Class Changed Everything19:55 Where to Find Tanya20:40 Outro