Written by Hassan Bfly, Founder of Intellectual Righteousness Hassan is the self-taught, non-prophetic messenger of God. He is the founder of the philosophy of Intellectual Righteousness and the author of the book Theology for the New Millennium. The greatest religious miracle isn’t raising the dead, parting seas, or anything magical. No one living today even knows if any of those events took place. If they did, those are some impressive feats, but none of them can match a logical understanding of God. Of course, simply remembering a basic math lesson at the beginning of Algebra 1 doesn’t sound like anything remarkable. Making a connection between the foundational reference point in math is. It provides us with evidence and an example of the beginning of all measurement, which has no beginning. This allows us to describe the Creator of all without confusion or contradiction. While the connection doesn’t exactly make the concept of God irrefutable, it does make logic and math allies of monotheism. If you have a basic understanding of zero’s role in defining all numbers and how analogies work, God is to reality what zero is to math. This connection can do what believers and non-believers have thought impossible. Zero: The mathematical mirror for God We have known about zero and its role in defining everything in math for centuries. Even though there were numerical systems prior to its discovery, a more complete understanding of zero showed that it was implicitly in use without people realizing it. Whether we’ve invented the sounds and symbols for it or not, none is the prerequisite for every first. Because none of whatever is desired leaves us lacking, it is easy to be dismissive and view zero in a negative light. None of something specific is different from none as the foundational reference point. Its absolute nature leaves no opposite perspective that could be perceived negatively. Many people think of zero as just a placeholder for absence without questioning why that would be necessary at math’s foundation. All measurement begins with none, so everything finite was once absent or non-existent. Only something infinite can have no beginning. Zero is the perfect placeholder for the Infinite because actual infinity has no finite attributes. If numbers are shorthand for adjectives answering the question “how many,” the answer to “how many finite attributes does the truly infinite have?” is none. Potential infinity goes on indefinitely. It is a recognition that the finite can go beyond our conceptual or perceptual range. Many people confuse potential infinity with actual infinity because they are both “limitless.” God in the image of man If we’ve known about zero for so long, how could such a simple connection be missed? Whenever we think of the Creator of all, we immediately think of action. This leads to ideas about consciousness, agency, location, and appearance. Such a tendency is so natural and automatic that even those who deny the existence of God begin with a human-like figure. A Creator with traits that fit the created is a contradiction, so an imaginable or personified God will fail any logic test and require faith to be believed in. Unfortunately, those who use logic are never actually applying it to the concept of a Creator. Those who accept the concept of a Creator are pulled further away from the truth by their means of description. Describing God without contradiction Without any way to relate to God, it is easy to assume that this leaves no way to describe God. We may only be able to define zero according to what it isn’t, but we are able to describe it according to its relevance to everything else in math. Using zero’s foundational role in math gives us a way to describe God without contradiction. In math, zero is absolute, infinite, perfect, eternal, and omnipresent. The most important of those descriptions is absoluteness. It gives us insight on multiple levels. Absolute value accurately conveys the concept of God being perceived as all-good, without the error of applying our relative morality to God. Positive and negative are opposite perspectives. Neither really applies to the Absolute, but the absence of negativity is often conflated with omnibenevolence. The lack of equal opposition means there is no need to envision a rival responsible for the existence of what we consider evil. Pain is the necessary and unavoidable counterpart of pleasure. It is an unpleasant part of reality, but suffering becomes a choice if the pain isn’t physical or excruciating. Absolute value and the power of perspective I wish understanding God could help with physical pain as it is happening, but all we can do during those difficult times is persevere and endure. Worshipping God does make mentally applying absolute value to every facet of existence possible. Some instances make it more difficult than others, but knowing absolute value applies to the most dreaded and guaranteed event, death, provides a way to accomplish it. The Absolute Creator made an absolute universe that is balanced by equal and opposite perspectives. To worship God is like putting absolute value brackets on life and death. You can still see what’s negative or the opposite of what you desire while being able to appreciate things for what they are. Understanding that with God is Heaven or Hell recalibrates the lens through which you see life. While tantalizing tales of abundance and terrifying threats of fire that burns without killing seem like the fantasies of those who are afraid of death, the reality behind those fictions is just as impactful. Heaven in your eyes Without opposite or equal, only the Creator can be the Destroyer. That means everything finite must return to God to cease to exist. That includes whatever it is that makes us autonomous and gives us self-interest. I’m not implying we remain active after we die, nor am I guaranteeing we will be aware in our final instance of individual existence. There is no reason to believe in activity after death, but we do have reason to believe we will be aware of our end. My confidence in awareness at the end comes from the simple conclusion that awareness is part of self-identity. Can there truly be a you without you knowing anything? Of course, we need the body and mind as conduits in the physical. They would be useless and non-existent in the end because you would be one with the Origin. To become one with the Infinite means there will be none of what we can experience in life. For those who see that as a lack of the negative, which would mean there is no longer any need or value for the positive, that would be seen as bliss. For those who see the lack of the positive they still long for, the same reality would be torment. Whether or not we will be aware in the end, the ability to see Heaven within the reality that could be seen as Hell is what unlocks the power of positive perspective. The promise of Heaven is meant to improve life. It doesn't require you to forgo life's joys for some reward after we die. God isn’t some tyrant who will punish you for eternity for not reciprocating “His love.” Hell is a warning to keep you from turning the inevitable into self-torment. Seeing the diminished perceived value of what we love frees us from the thought patterns that hinder enjoyment and makes difficulty more bearable. Intellectual righteousness checks every box Every reason for doubt, confusion, or rejection of monotheism can be linked to attempts to imagine and personify the Creator of all. It is such a natural tendency that even those who reject God begin with the same flawed projections as those who believe. God is to reality what zero is to math. With God is Heaven or Hell. You should remember that. The two facts and one opinion of Intellectual Righteousness may not answer every question about God. They do remove the contradictions associated with God and clear up the biggest misconceptions. There is no longer any room to question how an all-good and all-powerful God allows pain and suffering. We no longer describe the Creator in ways that fit creation. The sure pleasures of life are no longer sacrificed for uncertain improvements in the afterlife. When in doubt, you are encouraged to think critically, logically, and objectively. Realistically, the only arguments against Intellectual Righteousness stem from discomfort with such a major change in belief or an unwillingness to let go of the intoxicating delusion of being able to edit God. Because editing God is the closest we can come to omnipotence, the truth can feel like a personal attack. Free your mind, and your soul will follow. The truth about God is a blessing, don’t reject it just because it lacks the spectacle and fantasy people are used to. Explore the unseen constant at the foundation of math, and you will find God. Apply what you discover to life, and you will find peace. Feel free to ponder this article or explore more about this philosophy by going here . Share with anyone you think could benefit from this message. Follow me on  Facebook ,  Instagram , and visit my  website  for more info! Read more from Hassan Bfly Hassan Bfly, Founder of Intellectual Righteousness Hassan Bfly introduces a new way of understanding God using common sense and math. His core analogy "God is to reality what zero is to math" cuts through confusion with mathematical precision, inviting both believers and skeptics to consider a foundational truth no one can deny. Through writing, video, music, and on-location appearances, Hassan challenges conventional narratives and empowers others to think beyond doctrine and dogma. His message isn't just belief, it’s understanding.

Written by Emma Abalogun, Self-Leadership Coach | Speaker Emma Abalogun is a Self-Leadership Coach, Speaker and creator of the RAM-R™ Method, empowering women to rise out of survival and into sovereignty through emotional responsibility and embodied leadership. Every time you say yes when you mean no, stay silent when you want to speak, or seek approval over your own truth, you give away your power. Outsourcing your inner authority may feel safe, but it erodes self-worth, self-acceptance, and authentic confidence. Discover how to reclaim your voice, set boundaries, and lead with genuine strength. It is subtle, convincing, and to the person projecting, it always feels real. That is why I call it a trap, we think we are seeing the truth about someone else, but often we’re only seeing the parts of ourselves we’ve disowned or are not willing to face. Once you’re caught in the cycle, it keeps you repeating the same dynamics without realizing you’re the common denominator. Why projection happens Psychologists have long recognized projection as a defense mechanism. It’s just one of the mind’s ways of protecting the ego from painful truths.[1] Modern research supports this theory, stating that when people are confronted with traits they dislike in themselves, they are more likely to perceive those same traits in others.[4] In the world of misery we live in today, there is a significant number of unhappy and insecure people constantly living in the land of projection. This mechanism works as a form of self-preservation. If I can’t tolerate feeling insecure, I’ll “find” arrogance in others, which temporarily shields me from self-awareness. But that protection comes at a cost, what we don’t own, we repeat. The cycle in action You can spot the projection trap everywhere: Relationships: Someone who struggles with self-worth accuses their partner of neglect while neglecting themselves. Leadership: A manager doubting their competence micromanages, convinced that the team can’t be trusted. Social media: People criticize influencers for being “fake,” while hiding behind curated versions of themselves. The pattern is consistent, discomfort – projection – conflict – reinforced insecurity. Because the original discomfort never gets addressed (due to a lack of self-awareness), the loop strengthens itself. Why we don’t notice when we project Projection feels like truth. Our brains are wired with a tendency known as confirmation bias, which causes us to perceive information in ways that confirm our existing beliefs.[2] If I secretly believe I’m not good enough, I’ll consistently look for and interpret neutral behavior as rejection and “see” judgment everywhere I go. In one study, participants who were asked to suppress negative traits in themselves became significantly more likely to rate others as having those same traits.[3] In other words, the harder we push away what we dislike in ourselves, the more it shows up in our view of the world. How do we break the trap of projection? The goal isn’t to eliminate projection, as it’s a natural part of being human. The power lies in recognizing it and then using it as a pathway back to your own authority. This is where the RAM-R™ Method becomes essential: Reflection: Pause long enough to notice the mirror. Ask yourself: What part of me is being reflected in this trigger? Reflection helps you separate the story you’re projecting from the truth of what’s in front of you. Awareness: Sit with the discomfort instead of outsourcing it. If the person disappeared, what feeling would still remain in you? Awareness is what interrupts the automatic cycle. Neuroscience reveals that naming and acknowledging emotions can reduce their intensity and activate the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with rational decision-making. Management: Reclaim responsibility for your reaction. Rather than blaming, explore: What does this reveal about me, and how can I respond differently next time? This step restores your agency and builds emotional regulation. Repeat: Patterns don’t dissolve overnight. The more you return to Reflection, Awareness, and Management, the more you rewire your responses. Over time, projection shifts from an unconscious trap into a conscious teacher. By cycling through RAM-R™, you don’t just manage projection, you transform it into a tool for sovereignty and self-leadership. Taking responsibility for your growth and owning the shadow parts of yourself matters. When leaders, parents, and communities stop projecting, dynamics change: Leaders stop controlling and start empowering. Parents stop shaming and start modeling. Communities stop scapegoating and start healing. At the personal level, the most significant gain is sovereignty. Sovereignty isn’t about controlling others but reclaiming authority over yourself. The less you outsource your discomfort onto others, the more power you have to respond rather than react. Projection is universal. We all do it. The question isn’t if we project, but whether we’ll stay trapped or use it as an invitation for increased self-awareness. Because the qualities we reject in others often hold the keys to our own wholeness. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more at Emma Abalogun Emma Abalogun, Self-Leadership Coach | Speaker Emma Abalogun is a Self-Leadership Coach, Speaker, and creator of the RAM-R™ Method–a four-step framework designed to help women break free from survival patterns, projection cycles, and self-abandonment. Her work empowers individuals to lead with radical self-worth, emotional responsibility, and authentic power. Drawing from years of coaching experience and a deep understanding of identity, leadership, and legacy, Emma helps women reclaim their inner authority and become the kind of leader their life and work requires. References: [1] Freud, A. (1961). The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense (C. Baines, Trans.). New York: International Universities Press. (Original work published 1926). [2] Nickerson, R. S. (1998). Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises. Review of General Psychology, 2(2), 175–220. [3] Newman, L. S., Duff, K. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (1997). A new look at defensive projection: Thought suppression, accessibility, and biased person perception. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(5), 980–1001. [4] Schimel, J., Pyszczynski, T., Greenberg, J., O’Mahen, H., & Arndt, J. (2003). Running from the shadow: Psychological distancing from others to deny characteristics people fear in themselves. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 911–929.

Written by Georgina Marczak, Transformational Coach and Ayurvedic Practitioner Georgina Marczak is a leading mentor in the emerging field of energy healing and mastery, and heart-led leadership. Georgina combines a wealth of business experience with life, health, and energy-based coaching qualifications to support people out of an ego mindset and into heart-led consciousness. Energy is the foundation of life, influencing how we function physically, mentally, and spiritually. Understanding and nurturing this energy across all dimensions can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling existence. In this ultra-processed and hectic lifestyle we live, most people have forgotten to look after the energy of their mind, body, and soul, never mind use it for their advantage! So let's take a look at each area of our wellbeing and how we can use this energy to advance in all areas of life. Energy in the body The body’s energy primarily comes from the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe. Nutrients are converted into fuel through metabolic processes, powering everything from cellular repair to physical movement. Regular exercise, proper hydration, and adequate rest are essential to maintain this energy flow. When the body is energized, it supports vitality, strength, and overall health.   Things to consider Listen to what the body wants (not the ego or the addiction that wants cake), but if the body wants 20 packets of seaweed snack, it’s probably trying to replenish iodine to get to maximum health, help it don’t block it!   Don’t do a million diets, go back to basics. What sustains health? What does my body need to heal? Focus on quality ingredients and less of them. Once we start eating healthy and removing processed food, sugar, and complex carbohydrates, the body can clean up the energetic flow, lymphatic systems, and toxic load, and you can watch your health transform!   Listen to what people are actually saying with their body language and energy, not what is coming out of their mouth, in this you will find the absolute truth of their intentions.   Energy in the mind Mental energy is shaped by our thoughts, emotions, and cognitive processes. It determines our ability to focus, make decisions, and manage stress. Positive thinking, mindfulness practices, and mental rest, such as sleep and relaxation, help preserve and enhance mental energy. A clear and calm mind fosters creativity, resilience, and emotional stability.   Things to consider Thoughts create reality. Try spending 24 hours observing your thoughts and note how often you can put them in buckets of fear or guilt. Things like “oh, I said I would stop by Grandma’s and I did not” or “I really should pay that bill or something bad will happen”.   Once you have sight of how often your thoughts sit in lower energy buckets like fear and guilt, take steps to change it! Reframe statements such as “I must go to my mum's for a coffee” with “I’m excited to see Mum” or “I don’t feel like that today, I will honour myself and rearrange.” Self-love and joy are much higher energetics, and when we constantly start to live our lives experiencing them, it, in turn, attracts more positive experiences into our lives. Energy in the soul The soul’s energy is often associated with purpose, meaning, and spiritual well-being. It reflects our inner connection to values, beliefs, and a sense of belonging. Practices like meditation, gratitude, and acts of kindness can nourish this energy, creating inner peace and harmony. When the soul feels energized, life feels more purposeful and aligned.   Things to consider Change “I have to” to “that is not in alignment with my purpose, so I won’t” or “I want to”. Challenge worst-case scenarios and rewrite them, and allow blue sky thinking! How much of who you are has been written by someone else? Imagine yourself on your deathbed at 95, and someone enquires. What did you achieve? What do you want to tell them? What’s really important to you and only you? Creating balance across all dimensions True well-being arises when body, mind, and soul work in harmony. Physical health supports mental clarity, while a peaceful mind strengthens spiritual connection. By consciously nurturing each aspect through healthy habits, mindful living, and spiritual practices, we can achieve a state of holistic energy that empowers us to thrive in every area of life and helps us understand and work with the energies around and within us. Follow me on Facebook , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Georgina Marczak Georgina Marczak, Transformational Coach and Ayurvedic Practitioner Georgina has a well rounded professional career having spent many years in sales, sales management, leadership, coaching and marketing, she has an eye for business development and has supported many people exceed huge sales targets and start and grow their own businesses successfully. Alongside that, Georgina is an Empath, Energy healer, Transformational coach, and a Qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner, and is passionate about bringing the two together in what she calls her Toolkit to transform her clients from head-based low-energy ego mentality to heart-led high vibrational successful souls, and is able to both understand.

Written by Lisa Sheerin, ICF PCC Executive Coach | Transforming Confidence, Communication & Leadership Lisa works as an executive public speaking coach, actor, and fitness enthusiast. She is passionate about helping people overcome imposter syndrome and find their authentic voice to unlock career success in business and beyond. She is the founder of Speak Proud. What gives someone gravitas? Most people assume it comes from seniority or status, the job grade, the title on your email signature, or the visible signals that suggest influence. But these are surface layers, not the source. A recent moment involving Prince George sparked a much deeper reflection, true gravitas isn’t inherited, bestowed, or guaranteed by hierarchy. It’s cultivated internally, shaped by presence, self-belief, and the way we communicate with the world. Titles can change. Gravitas is something else entirely. Gravitas isn’t about position, it’s about presence In my work with clients across research, consulting, law, and creative industries, I see the same pattern, people wait for external validation before they allow themselves to feel credible. “I’ll speak with more authority once I’ve been promoted.” “I’ll contribute more confidently once I’m more senior.” “I’ll take up space once I feel like I’ve earned it.” Waiting for authority is the fastest way to lose it. Confidence doesn’t flow from job titles. It flows from self-trust. Gravitas emerges from the quiet clarity that says, I know who I am, and my voice deserves to be heard. That mindset can belong to anyone, a partner or a graduate, a returning parent, a career changer, or yes, even a twelve-year-old boy in a blazer. Your voice is your influence, long before your title is We fixate on the content of what we say, but real impact lies in how we say it. Gravitas shows itself through: a grounded, unhurried pace a voice that carries intention the confidence to pause without shrinking a tone that reflects certainty rather than performance Two people can deliver the same sentence. Only one will be remembered, not because of their rank, but because of their presence. Authority isn’t granted, it’s embodied A persistent myth in the workplace is that you need seniority before you behave with authority. But leadership presence doesn’t happen at the top of the ladder, it grows on the way up. Confidence follows action. Gravitas follows practice. You strengthen both by: speaking up when your instinct is to stay quiet offering a point of view before you’ve fully polished it staying grounded when the conversation gets uncomfortable choosing clarity over apology These aren’t personality traits, they are skills, and they belong to anyone willing to develop them. The crown is symbolic. The presence is real Gravitas has nothing to do with hierarchy and everything to do with identity. It’s the difference between someone who waits to feel credible and someone who decides to show up with credibility. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the clearest. You don’t need a crown to have gravitas. You need a voice rooted in who you are, not just in what you do. Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Lisa Sheerin Lisa Sheerin, ICF PCC Executive Coach | Transforming Confidence, Communication & Leadership Lisa works as an executive public speaking coach, actor, and group fitness instructor with over 20 years of experience. A graduate of a three-year drama school program in London, she began her career in theatre and film, where she faced and overcame imposter syndrome. Today, she empowers others to embrace their authenticity and transform self-doubt into confidence, combining her acting expertise, fitness training, and passion for personal growth. Her mission is to guide others toward a life where they can speak and live proudly.

Written by Samantha Regan, Business Leader, Designer, Owner, Founder Samantha Regan is a business leader, designer, owner and founder of Fera Poppies LLC., By Samantha Regan. Promise yourself a powerful relationship because it’s the most important bond you’ll ever forge. Leadership isn’t just about power, it’s about presence. For women, especially, leadership is an act of courage, to show up authentically, to hold your ground in rooms that weren’t designed for you, and to lead not just with intellect but with empathy, grit, and conviction. When someone joins my team, whether as a colleague, partner, or intern, they’re not stepping into a job, they’re entering a culture. One defined by growth, presence, and responsibility. When you have a presence, others naturally follow. These are my 13 defining values, the guiding principles that shape how I lead and what I expect from those who choose to build alongside me. They’re not rules meant to restrict. They’re principles that built me, so I believe they will also build others: 1. Never assume you know anything Curiosity is your greatest competitive edge. No matter your experience, never believe you’ve “figured it out.” The moment you stop asking questions, you stop growing. Confidence and curiosity are not opposites, they are partners. The best leaders are lifelong learners. 2. Report everything: Every detail matters Women are often told not to “sweat the small stuff,” but the truth is, great leadership lives in the details. Clarity builds trust, and trust builds strong teams. Whether it’s an insight, a challenge, or a subtle shift in tone, communicate it. The small things shape the big things. 3. You’re a leader: Act like one Leadership isn’t about waiting for permission, it’s about owning your presence. Don’t shrink your voice or second-guess your intuition. Lead with discernment, not doubt. Authority begins the moment you believe in your own judgment. 4. Expect betrayal: Keep going anyway Not everyone will support you. Some will misunderstand you. Others will disappoint you. Keep going anyway. Integrity, resilience, and self-respect will carry you further than approval ever will. Strength is staying steady when others waver. 5. Do what’s best for everyone: Not just yourself True leadership means balancing ambition with altruism. Every decision you make should serve the greater mission, not just your own goals. Success that’s shared lasts longer because it’s built on collective progress, not personal gain. 6. Train like an Olympian Excellence isn’t gendered, it’s earned. Approach your work like an athlete in training, with consistency, precision, and purpose. Discipline is not the enemy of creativity, it’s what gives creativity its edge. 7. I’m your boss, not your cheerleader As women, we’re often expected to nurture. But leadership isn’t about handing out constant validation, it’s about creating transformation. I’ll challenge you before I comfort you, because growth rarely happens in comfort zones. Empathy matters, but accountability changes lives. 8. Match your expectations with your effort Ambition without aligned effort is a fantasy. If you demand excellence, embody it. Make sure your work ethic matches your goals. High standards mean nothing if they’re not supported by consistent execution. 9. I don’t have all the answers Leadership isn’t about omniscience, it’s about openness. Admitting you don’t know everything is not a weakness, it’s wisdom. Collaboration creates innovation. Great female leaders build teams where every voice has value, and every idea is heard. 10. Have the audacity to speak up Audacity is a muscle, build it. Speak the truth, even when it shakes the room. Your credibility is not built by being agreeable, it’s built by being honest. Courageous communication is the ultimate form of leadership clarity. 11. Smell your shit, own your decisions The moment you start crowdsourcing every choice, you surrender your authority. Leadership requires decisiveness. Make the call. Stand by it. Learn from it. Accountability is the quiet confidence that earns lasting respect. 12. If you can’t starve with me, you can’t eat with me Leadership isn’t glamorous, it’s grit. Behind every success are late nights, hard choices, and unseen sacrifices. Surround yourself with people who share your endurance, those who show up when it’s hard, not just when it’s easy. 13. Have fun Joy is strategy. Energy is contagious. Build cultures where laughter fuels productivity and where passion doesn’t burn out purpose. Celebrate small wins. Have fun doing hard things, it’s the key to sustaining success. 14. Embrace the dark days: They’re where growth happens Do not hide your missteps, bring them into the light. Each failure reveals where pride concealed ignorance, and each lesson earned through pain becomes the foundation of wisdom. The one who learns quickly is not the one who avoids error, but the one who faces it without shame and rises without complaint. Every leader faces moments of uncertainty. The darkest days often shape the brightest futures. Sit with discomfort. Learn from it. Growth doesn’t happen when everything feels right, it happens when you face what feels wrong and rise anyway. Final thought These principles are more than leadership advice, they are a way of life for women who choose to lead differently, curious, relentless, humble, and hungry to grow. Because leadership isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being powerful, present, and progress-driven. The world doesn’t need more women who play small. It needs women who lead big with vision, resilience, and grace. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Samantha Regan Samantha Regan , Business Leader, Designer, Owner, Founder Samantha Regan is a leader in making clothes, fashion and is redefining the landscape for luxury fashion. Samantha blends fashion, healing, somatic awareness and designing desire. She dedicates her life to helping others unleash their genius through clothes as a ritual of transformation.

Written by Jyllin, Holistic Health Coach & Somatic Educator Jyllin, founder of the Holistic Liberation Method, weaves Five Element theory, meridian yoga therapy, and EFT to restore emotional balance and embodied resilience, drawing on nearly two decades of teaching experience across four continents. As I revisited old memories through a guided reflection, I uncovered a painful pattern. What if I hadn’t said yes all the times I’d actually wanted to say no? For years I believed the issue came from one harmful relationship or a few people who crossed my boundaries. Eventually I saw it went much deeper. This pattern had shaped most of my relationships and was woven into how I moved through the world. And it didn’t only exist in my mind. It was rooted in my body. Resentment lived in my liver. My chest tightened in protection. My heart held the weight of self-betrayal. Even when I knew better, I still found myself agreeing to things I didn’t want. I felt my truth rising but the words rarely came out in time. What finally connected the pieces was learning that this wasn’t a lack of strength or clarity. It was a protective response in my nervous system. Fawning comes from the same survival roots as freeze. When speaking up feels threatening and fight or flight aren’t available, the body learns to survive through pleasing and accommodating. It chooses safety in the only way it can. I wasn’t choosing to say yes. My nervous system was choosing safety. How childhood experiences shape the fawn response You can know your boundary and still feel unable to voice it. This isn’t about willpower. It’s a pattern shaped by early experiences that taught your body it wasn’t safe to disagree. Many children grow up around instability or emotional volatility. In those environments, fight or flight often aren’t safe options. Over time, the nervous system mutes strong impulses and assertive responses. What remains is a strategy that freezes inside while staying outwardly agreeable, allowing survival without full shutdown. Trauma research supports this. Polyvagal theory suggests that when children can’t express fight or flight safely, their stress response reorganizes around appeasing or maintaining connection as protection (Porges, 2011). This is the heart of the fawn response. The pattern becomes so instinctual that you might not even register your “no” until hours later, once your nervous system settles. Your throat tightens, or your voice disappears because your body isn’t choosing authenticity. It’s choosing survival in the only way it knows. Understanding these roots helps rebuild internal safety. And while the pattern begins early, it doesn’t remain in the past. How daily pressures trigger the fawn response You get invited to something, and your gut says no, but before you know it, you’re saying yes. That hesitation, the tiny panic in your chest, the worry about causing tension—these are signs your nervous system is working hard to protect you. Small pressures that seem trivial can still trigger the same survival wiring. Sudden requests, minor disagreements, or moments of uncertainty can feel overwhelming and make it difficult to assert yourself. This creates a loop. Stress rises, fawning follows, temporary safety is gained, and the pattern deepens. Over time, this cycle leads to racing thoughts, indecision, guilt, or the resentment that appears after agreeing to something you didn’t truly want. Noticing this loop explains why simply saying no rarely works when your body is still bracing for threat. Why just saying no rarely works Even when you know exactly what you want, asserting a boundary can feel impossible. Willpower only goes so far when your nervous system has learned to prioritize safety over choice. You might intend to speak up, yet your voice disappears, or you automatically accommodate. This isn’t weakness or indecision. It’s a survival pattern built over years. In today’s world, we’re taught to think our way through every challenge. But patterns rooted in your body don’t shift through understanding alone. The good news is that boundaries can be restored, but your system has to feel safe first. That’s where body-based practices come in, helping you rewire your instincts and reclaim your voice. Body-based practices to protect your boundaries When your nervous system drives fawning, insight isn’t enough. To shift the patterns beneath your boundaries, your body needs to experience safety in real time. Trauma research shows that noticing and gently responding to bodily sensations can help the body shift out of survival mode (Levine, 2010). Imagine someone offering unsolicited advice. Your gut tightens, and your mind starts racing. Before automatically nodding, try this three-step pause: Notice. Pause long enough to feel what’s happening in your body. Breathe. Take a slow breath into that area. Let your exhale soften the tension slightly without forcing it. Anchor. Feel your feet on the floor or your body in the chair. Let this grounding remind your nervous system that you’re safe enough to respond instead of react. Even a few seconds of this pause can regulate your system. You might then experiment with a soft boundary, saying something like, “Let me think about that” or “I’m not sure yet.” By listening to the signals of your body, you respect boundaries that feel authentic and sustainable. This attunement prepares you to integrate your body’s wisdom into daily life so you can speak from truth rather than survival. Learning to respond instead of react Reclaiming boundaries asks for daily, subtle listening. Your nervous system gives real-time guidance about what feels safe and aligned. As you pay attention to tightness in your chest, shifts in your breath, or waves of emotion, you learn what your body is asking for. Start small. Feel your breath during conversations. Tune into your gut when making decisions. These micro-practices build trust and show your body that its signals matter. Over time, your nervous system recognizes safety more easily. Saying no becomes less charged, and decisions become clearer. As you lean into what your sensations communicate, you begin to trust yourself again. Everyday interactions become opportunities to honor your needs and cultivate your autonomy, one small choice at a time. Start small, strengthen your boundaries Begin with tiny experiments. Pause before answering. Pay attention to places of tension. Practice saying, “I’ll get back to you.” Each moment of attunement strengthens your ability to honor your needs without guilt. Saying no isn’t rejection. It’s an act of self-respect. Choosing presence over autopilot softens old patterns and strengthens the boundaries you’ve been longing for. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Jyllin Jyllin , Holistic Health Coach & Somatic Educator Jyllin is a holistic health coach and somatic educator who blends trauma-informed coaching, meridian yoga therapy, and EFT to support emotional resilience and embodied healing. Teaching internationally since 2012, she draws from her background in Five Element philosophy, mindful movement, and nervous system regulation to help others reconnect with their innate wisdom. Through her Holistic Liberation Method, Jyllin offers a grounded, integrative approach that bridges Eastern and Western wisdom to restore flow in both body and mind.

Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview In an era when women are expected to thrive simultaneously as partners, mothers, leaders, and creators, Alneja Gašpar Horvat expands the conversation beyond productivity and into healing. Her work reaches beyond the visible layers of fertility and family planning and into the deeper realms of generational memory, emotional inheritance, and subconscious patterns that shape a woman’s experience long before she enters motherhood. She speaks from embodied transformation rather than theory, offering a space where women are no longer asked to choose between ambition and identity, or between motherhood and selfhood—but are guided to honor all parts of themselves without collapse, sacrifice, or silence. Alneja Gašpar Horvat is a Transformational Mentor for modern women navigating life’s crucial transitions—from finding love and creating a family to unlocking fertility, becoming a conscious parent, and balancing family with business without losing themselves amidst the many roles and obligations women often carry. She is the author of the “Unlock Your Fertility” program, created from her personal success story, and uses her signature Butterfly Technique to help women and couples overcome fertility blocks, heal core wounds, and become the parents they always wished for but never had. As a Fertility & Mama Coach, she supports clients through miscarriage, failed IVF, and other fertility challenges, walking with them every step of the way—from conception and pregnancy to birth, motherhood, and beyond—guiding them through the challenges that arise in love, life, and work once children arrive. Alneja Gašpar Horvat My body was never my enemy. It wasn’t failing or punishing me—it was protecting me. What was the moment you knew this healing work was your true calling? To be honest, I’ve felt this calling my entire life. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been the mediator in my family, the quiet counselor among friends, the person strangers at parties would confide in. I never questioned it; it just felt natural, like something in me recognized their pain before they even spoke it. I guess I provided that safe space for them to open up and vent—and you know how people say that others recognize your gift long before you do… But I didn’t fully step into this calling until life brought me to my knees. Within a short period of time, my body started screaming with symptoms—a stage-3 precancerous diagnosis, a procedure that removed part of my cervix, a thyroid autoimmune disease, a burnout that left me barely functioning, and being stuck in a job I literally hated. And then, as if all of that weren’t enough, I was told that becoming a mother would be nearly impossible. That moment didn’t just break me. It cracked me and broke me open. It pushed me to finally face everything I had carried in silence for years—the childhood wounds, the generational trauma, the emotional pain buried so deep I almost forgot it was there. Opening Pandora’s box was terrifying, but keeping things boxed up was no longer an option. I felt it in every cell of my body that if I didn’t heal this, I was not going to survive the next health issue that came my way. The feeling that life could slip away from me was motivation enough to go within and deal with the core issues that had broken my body and soul. And as I peeled back the layers and healed the pain stored in my body, something miraculous happened: my health began to shift, my energy returned, my fertility unlocked, I became a mother, changed my life and career, and found my calling. Somewhere along this healing journey, I learned one of my most valuable lessons:My body was never my enemy. It wasn’t failing or punishing me—it was protecting me. Protecting me from repeating the pain I inherited. Protecting me from creating life and becoming a mother before I healed the parts of myself that needed love the most. And most of all, it was protecting me from the wrong life choices, jobs, and a path that wasn’t aligned with my soul’s calling. When I saw how emotional, ancestral, and energetic healing transformed me on so many levels, I knew I couldn’t keep this wisdom to myself. I felt called to share it, to support others the way I once wished someone could support me. This was never a career choice. It was a calling born from brokenness, resilience, rebirth, and the quiet, divine guidance that kept whispering, “This is your path.” You say women can have it all if they trust themselves—what holds them back the most? Yes, I am convinced that women can have it all—but only when they learn to honor the natural phases and stages of life and the inner archetypes that guide each season. We can have love, family, motherhood, self-discovery, purpose, career, impact, and legacy… just not all at once. Each chapter has its own rhythm, its own calling, its own version of “having it all.” The struggle begins when we try to live every role at once—the lover, the mother, the creator, the leader—and then wonder why we feel overwhelmed, burnt out, frustrated, disconnected, or resentful. When a woman embraces the timing of her life instead of fighting it, everything begins to flow. What holds women back isn’t a lack of potential—it’s rushing to have it all due to internalized fear: fear of being “too much,” fear of not being enough, fear of failing, fear of repeating old patterns, fear of losing love, fear of disappointing others, fear of missing the right moment or running out of time, and even fear of stepping into our true power and success. Most of these fears aren’t even ours; they’re inherited—passed down through generational pain, cultural expectations, the collective consciousness, and the roles our mothers and grandmothers had to play. But the moment a woman begins trusting her own inner authority instead of external voices, everything changes. She becomes unstoppable. And that’s when “having it all” stops being a dream… and becomes her reality. How do you combine coaching, regression therapy and ancestral work in your sessions? My work is deeply integrative because women are complex, layered beings—intellectual, intuitive, emotional, and spiritual. They need a holistic approach that can tap into every layer of feminine energy, as well as address female blocks, pain, or trauma. This requires a combination of techniques and methods to ensure that each individual receives the right approach for her unique issue and story. Coaching provides the conscious mind with clarity, direction, and strategy. It offers a fresh perspective, those much-needed “aha” moments, and the opportunity to vent and share stories, while also receiving advice and support for mindset and emotional blocks formed in early childhood. It focuses on early trauma, core wounds, inner child healing, and archetypal work. Regression therapy, on the other hand, reveals and helps heal the subconscious wounds and emotional imprints that shape behavior and attract certain patterns. This tool specifically addresses energy and hidden subconscious blocks. Meanwhile, ancestral work clears the blocks women carry—but don’t physically possess—such as inherited trauma, loyalty patterns, ancestral fears and stories, and karmic cycles. When we combine all these layers—the conscious, subconscious, energetic, personal, collective, and ancestral—healing becomes truly holistic. A woman doesn’t just need to change her mindset—she needs to change her DNA, her emotional blueprint, her energetic field, and the story she passes down to her children. The impacts of this holistic approach are profound. All of my clients tell me that my programs don’t just fix one issue but rather affect their lives on a much greater scale. They experience deep transformation in all areas of life—in love, fertility, and parenting, but also in confidence, health, and abundance. How has your background in languages and translation shaped the way you work today? Working with languages has made me skilled at something deeper than words—the translation of hidden clues, suppressed emotions, and deeper meaning. Today, I translate the “language” of the subconscious, the body, the inner child, and the ancestral line. I listen between the lines. I hear what a woman is not saying. I sense the emotion behind the story, the wound beneath the behavior, the fear behind the silence. My background in languages has also given me access to greater knowledge and wisdom. It allowed me to learn from amazing international coaches and mentors, making me better at what I do. It gave me the foundation and the self-confidence to stand in front of an international audience and speak to them in a language that is not my mother tongue. Languages trained me to understand people beyond literal speech—to feel their truth, their blocks, their soul. In many ways, healing is a form of translation: it’s about helping someone interpret their pain, find their love language, understand their patterns, and rewrite their story in a language that empowers them. What advice do you give to women trying to grow a business while being present as mothers? Balancing motherhood and work is never easy, especially when you feel called to build a successful career or pursue your purpose as an entrepreneur. Children need attention, love, and guidance—they require our time and focus, just as our business does. This constant pull can leave us feeling like we’re drowning in tasks and obligations, spending all our energy on everyone else while feeling guilty for not fully showing up for either. A day has only 24 hours, yet we try to juggle motherhood, household chores, cooking, driving kids to activities, tracking hobbies and talents—all while living, breathing, and doing our work. It’s exhausting, overwhelming, and suffocating. Even as we struggle, we often feel we must manage it alone. Wanting equality with men makes it hard to admit that the dual demands of motherhood and work can sometimes be too much. We fear asking for help will make us appear incapable or limited, undermining everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve. Saying, “I’m drowning, I need help,” feels impossible. So we pressure ourselves to do it all, often at the cost of losing ourselves. Being a business mom is hard, but it’s not impossible. We just need to find the courage to say, “I can’t do it all by myself. I need help. I need a support circle, or I’m going to lose it.” That is not failure or defeat—it’s proof of self-love and bravery. It’s not really about balancing different areas of life; it’s about being honest with ourselves. Balance is a myth that pressures women to be everything to everyone, perfectly, without flaws, and to excel in every female role or archetype at once—which is simply impossible. Instead of striving for balance, I suggest integration—because integration allows a woman to lead both her business and her family from the same core: her intuitive feminine truth. So, my advice is simple: Build a business that works with your current energy, time, and limitations Drop the guilt and accept that presence matters more than perfection Trust your archetypal rhythm and honor that some seasons are for expansion, while others are for nurturing Ask for help and remember that it used to take a village to raise a child. There is no need to do it alone Create your business around your life and commitments, not the other way around Adjust your working hours, availability, workspace, and methods to your kids Share or outsource tasks you can’t or don’t want to do Build a support circle that helps you care for your children while honoring your energy and limits Motherhood shifts our capacity to live, breathe, and create—and that’s okay. When the kids are small, they need more of you, which means your business may grow slower but stronger. As they grow older and more independent, you naturally have more space to expand your career, vision, and legacy. By adjusting your business to your role as a mother, instead of resisting it, both areas of life become easier to manage, lighter to navigate, and far more fulfilling in the long term. How do you help someone who seems successful but still feels unfulfilled? When a woman is successful yet feels empty, it’s almost always because she has built a life based on expectations—not soul alignment. Achievement without alignment always leads to disconnection and unfulfillment. Many women create a business to prove something: To prove someone wrong To prove to themselves that they are capable Or to please the people they love—parents, partners, children, mentors Some end up chasing dreams that were never truly theirs. Others use business as a way to avoid dealing with emotional wounds or to escape the loneliness, pain, or unmet needs in their private life. And sometimes… the business simply isn’t their calling anymore. So whenever women feel unfulfilled, I guide them back home, back to their soul truth: What do they truly desire—beyond what they were taught to want? Which parts of themselves feel ignored, abandoned, or silenced? Which responsibilities are they carrying that were never theirs? What wounds are they still avoiding, protecting, or performing around? Where are they living for others instead of for themselves? Unfulfillment is not a failure—it’s feedback. It’s our soul saying, “This isn’t who you are anymore.” It simply points out that the external self no longer matches the internal self. Once we bring those two into alignment, fulfillment stops being something she chases. It becomes her natural state: her home, her truth, her soul’s calling. When we align with our true purpose, we stop hitting walls. We stop pouring energy, time, and resources into things that don’t flow. We stop swimming against the current and allow ourselves to release control, trusting the Universe—or a higher power—to guide us. That’s when the soul stops resisting, and the blocks dissolve. That’s when life begins to flow naturally, without struggle or force. That’s when the Universe starts showing us the rewards we’ve been ready to receive—if we have the courage to make space for them. What is the next step or evolution for your work and mission? For me, the next step in my work is deeply personal—it comes from everything I’ve seen, felt, and learned over the years. I’ve realized that true transformation comes from healing the source, not just fixing consequences, and that my work must begin before we even become parents. I am definitely going to put more emphasis on the “Become a Better Parent” idea. This year, in particular, I’ve also learned that supporting women alone is not enough; both partners must heal and grow together. When couples step fully into this process, the results are profound—I’ve seen my success rate rise from 80–85% to 100% this past year, as I started working with couples rather than women only. I’ve come to understand that parenting is not a birthright but a responsibility and a sacred calling, and my mission now is to guide couples to embrace it fully as conscious, healed partners. So, the only logical step for 2026 is the expansion and refinement of my programs and services. My work has always reflected my personal journey, growing and evolving with me. Every decade, it expands and takes on a deeper, more profound shape. Right now, that growth is calling me to step onto an international stage—supporting not only women in my home country and neighboring countries but reaching women and families around the globe. My mission remains helping women and couples heal their core wounds—the ones that silently cause havoc in love, family, fertility, self-love, parenting, purpose, and happiness. But in 2026, I will also focus on: Being visible and heard on a global scale Start writing a book and offering group experiences to reach and inspire more people in a shorter period of time Offering multi-layered healing containers, such as intensive, personalized 1-week fertility retreats for couples to achieve faster and deeper results Hosting international workshops and teachings on how to heal and become a parent who doesn’t break or hurt their children, but instead holds space, loves, and keeps them safe Providing tools that break generational patterns before they reach our children At this stage, my work is about more than preparing bodies for pregnancy—it’s about helping women and couples become the parents their children deserve. It’s about helping women step fully into their purpose, navigate love, family, work, and self-worth without losing themselves, while raising children who grow up whole, resilient, and empowered. My vision is clear: to heal women and couples so deeply that their children never carry the same wounds. To transform mothers, families, and generations. To help women have it all without losing themselves, and ultimately, to create a better world—one person, one parent, and one child at a time. This interview reveals the depth and evolution of Alneja Gašpar Horvat’s mission: not only to help women conceive, but to empower couples to break inherited patterns before they reach the next generation. Her work stands at the frontline of emotional and ancestral healing, rewriting narratives of womanhood, motherhood, and feminine identity with a clarity that is both grounded and spiritual. Through holistic methodology, lived experience, and a devotion to transformation, she offers a model of parenthood and personal growth that transcends achievement and returns to soul alignment. In her world, healing is not an event—it is lineage reconstruction, identity reclamation, and the foundation of conscious family creation. For more info follow Alneja Gašpar Horvat on: Instagram Facebook Web

Written by Josh Grimm, Fitness and Mindfulness Coach Josh Grimm is an industry-leading fitness and mindfulness coach. He is the founder of FITNUT, based in New York City, offering in-person and online coaching, global wellness retreats, podcasts, and seminars. December is a checkpoint, a pause in the year where life hands you a moment to look inward and ask: What needs to stay?
What needs to shift?
Who am I becoming? Inside the FITNUT Collective, I talk a lot about alignment. The end of the year is when alignment becomes non-negotiable. Your mind and body are giving you data every single day, and when you slow down long enough to listen, you begin to understand exactly what you need in order to step into the next year stronger, healthier, and more grounded. These 12 mind-body habits aren’t about perfection or pressure. They’re about building a foundation that supports the way you want to live. They’re about creating space not just for goals, but for energy, clarity, and renewed momentum. Let this be your blueprint as you close 2025 with intention and walk into 2026 with power. 1. Reconnect to your deeper why When everything around you gets loud, your why keeps you steady. Get clear on the real reason you want to feel stronger, healthier, more focused, or more balanced. Write it down. Revisit it often. Let it become the anchor you return to when motivation wavers. A strong why becomes your personal fuel source. 2. Protect and design your mornings Mornings are sacred. They’re your opportunity to set the tone before the world asks anything of you. Whether you move your body, journal, breathe, or simply drink your coffee without rushing, create a morning practice that grounds you. Consistency here shifts everything else. 3. Upgrade your spaces Your environment should make it easier to rise to your goals, not harder. Clean out your training space, refresh your gear, simplify your surroundings, and create areas that invite calm and clarity. When your environment supports you, your habits naturally strengthen. 4. Choose inputs that elevate you What you consume becomes who you become. Fill your world with things that energize you, conversations that challenge you, and content that inspires your evolution. Small shifts in what you allow into your mind can dramatically adjust your mood, motivation, and daily discipline. 5. Set grounded goals for the new year Forget the pressure-filled resolutions. Instead, create goals that feel aligned, intentional, and realistic. Break them down into clear actions that you can sustain. The goal is not to sprint into 2026, it’s to build momentum that lasts beyond January. 6. Strengthen your accountability network Accountability doesn’t mean relying on someone else, it means reinforcing your commitment. Maybe it’s a coach, a friend, a journal, or this community. Choose something that keeps you honest, consistent, and supported. 7. Prioritize recovery and regulate your nervous system There’s a difference between pushing and progressing. Rest, sleep, breathwork, and intentional recovery allow your body to integrate the work you’re doing. A regulated nervous system is the foundation for clarity, strength, and emotional resilience. Rest is part of the program. 8. Lean into community and supportive relationships Human connection changes success rates. Surround yourself with people who value growth, wellness, and intentional living. Share your wins, your struggles, your shifts. A rising environment lifts you with it, and you deserve to be in rooms that reflect where you’re going, not where you’ve been. 9. Schedule your well-being When life gets busy, unplanned wellness is the first thing to disappear. Plan your workouts, your meals, your downtime, and your non-negotiables for the week. Structure creates freedom. The more you schedule your wellness, the more energy you will sustain. 10. Train your discipline, not just your motivation Motivation is seasonal. Discipline is cultivated. If you want to feel different in 2026, commit to showing up even on the days that feel inconvenient. Discipline is a muscle, and when you strengthen it, everything else becomes easier. 11. Celebrate the version of you that made it through this year You’ve grown, shifted, learned, and adapted in ways you may not have given yourself credit for. Pause and honor that. Naming your wins reinforces belief in your ability to keep evolving. Celebration is powerful feedback for your nervous system. 12. Visualize the person you're stepping into Close your eyes and picture the version of you who is thriving in 2026. What habits do they practice? How do they carry themselves? What choices do they make daily? The more clearly you see your future self, the easier it becomes to act in alignment with them today. Step into 2026 with clarity and momentum The end of the year isn’t about rewriting who you are, it’s about reconnecting to who you’re becoming. These habits are here to support your evolution. When your mind and body are aligned, your life moves differently. You move differently. Inside the FITNUT Collective, I believe in finishing strong, beginning grounded, and living with intention year-round. Let these habits guide your next chapter. Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Josh Grimm Josh Grimm, Fitness and Mindfulness Coach Josh Grimm offers a unique combination of fitness and mindfulness coaching through his brand, FITNUT, which he started in 2014 after spending a length of time in Southeast Asia and then returning home to New York City. His holistic approach of curating a culmination of physical and mental fitness training via one-on-one coaching, an online multi-use platform, podcasts, seminars, and global wellness retreats, brings together a community that wants to live their ideal mindset through optimal physical and mental health.

Laura McCann is the Founder and CEO of Auratherapy – an energy healing and aromatherapy brand built to solve a modern problem: people are overwhelmed, disconnected, and looking outside themselves for answers, yet true change requires a different path – becoming your own healer. As a wellness innovator and author, Laura has created a method that brings the ancient and the modern together, pairing chakra-based energy work with data-informed aura and chakra insights, breath-led rituals, and premium essential oil blends. Auratherapy manufactures their products in Asheville, North Carolina, and her retail store downtown at the historic Grove Arcade and in Miami, in the artsy Wynwood neighborhood, provide a sanctuary for those seeking to know their vibrational selves better. Through Auratherapy’s products and services, Laura translates big spiritual concepts into daily practices you can actually do: a reset for your mood, a ritual for your nervous system, a scent-and-breath routine that helps you shift your state in minutes. Her work is designed to be felt immediately and lived consistently – because personal transformation isn’t a single breakthrough; it’s what happens when you remember to adore yourself, on purpose, every day. Laura is also the co-author of Auratherapy: A Guide to Adoring Yourself, Your Chakras, and Your Aura, a guide to self-leadership through energy awareness. Whether she’s building a brand, creating wellness events and communities, her mission is clear: give people practical tools to regulate, realign, and rise – one breath at a time. She calls it “Adoring Yourself!” Laura McCann, Founder & CEO of Auratherapy Who is Laura McCann? Tell us something interesting about you. I’m a founder, a builder, and a teacher at heart. My Aura is yellow: mentally focused and optimistic with a green center, which means I am compassionate and visionary. I love taking a category like aromatherapy and figuring out how to make it mainstream and a replacement for fragrance, which is harmful to your body, mind, and spirit. In business, this makes me direct, strategic, and execution-focused. I care about clarity, great design, and experiences that deliver real value. I love digging into ideas, design, product development, and creating worlds that support personal transformation. I’m happiest when I use both my right and left brain superpowers. My favorite thing is to create a user journey, a physical experience, like our aura and chakra reading paired with our aromatherapy scent consultation, and turn it into the moment someone realizes, “Oh – I can change how I feel, right here, right now.” Something interesting about me is that my personal health journey became a major catalyst for my work. I was diagnosed with Habba Syndrome in my forties. It taught me that stress isn’t just mental – it becomes physical, emotional, and energetic. That wake-up call shaped my commitment to creating tools that help people regulate their nervous system and reconnect to self-trust. The heart of my work is simple: you can adore yourself back to energetic coherence, one breath at a time. What inspired you to start Auratherapy and focus on aura photography, chakra work, and aromatherapy? Auratherapy started with a question I couldn’t let go of: What could I do to heal myself that required minimal time and facilitation? The answer for me was breathwork. I realized I wasn’t breathing. As a busy, serial entrepreneur and single mom, I needed a shortcut. Something I could do for myself, without a guru, a mat, a class, an intermediary. When I discovered aromatherapy, I was given a collection of seven chakra blends. This was a new modality for me. I found I was taking these amazing, deep, transformative scented breaths, and changing my habits to intentionally schedule time for shifting. Transformation requires repetition. It requires a ritual and an intentional practice. I finally found “my leverage". I wanted to figure out how to share what I was learning. Aromatherapy became my doorway because scent is immediate – it can shift your state in seconds, and your limbic brain offers all kinds of new access points to rewiring the mind and body with big and little aha moments. Chakra work became my framework because it gave me language to what I was feeling, a location in the body to pinpoint, and specific things I could do to shift and self-actualize. Feeling anxious? Open your heart. Burnt out? Slow down the solar plexus. I finally understood what I was doing energetically, where I was overgiving, where I was shutting down, where I was depleted, where I was afraid to be seen. When we introduced aura and chakra imaging software to our business, we finally had the diagnostic tool that became the bridge between ancient wisdom and modern insight, offering our clients a structured reflection of what’s happening and where to focus. Data-driven readings take away the woo-woo and leave you with information. You decide what you want to do with it; we just give you the tools. Auratherapy is my way of bringing all of this together – products and services, ancient and modern – so healing becomes personal. Not something you “believe in,” but something you practice. How does an aura reading or chakra analysis work, and why is it beneficial? An Auratherapy reading is designed to be a structured, grounded experience – insight you can use, not a spiritual performance. We begin with a modern aura scan that provides an energetic snapshot. Then we translate what shows up through a chakra framework so clients can understand it in human terms: stress patterns, emotional themes, and where energy may be overactive or depleted. The benefit is clarity and direction. People often walk in saying, “I don’t know what’s wrong – how can I figure out what is actually going on.” A reading helps them name what’s happening and, most importantly, what to do next. We don’t stop at information; we turn insight into a plan: breath cues, simple rituals, and scent recommendations that support regulation and alignment. It’s beneficial because it meets people where they are: busy, overwhelmed, and needing tools that work in real life. You leave feeling seen, steady, and equipped. We’ve done over 11,000 readings and we have built expertise, we see what people are doing energetically to cope with daily living. What kind of people or clients benefit most from your services and products? Auratherapy is for people who are functioning – but want little hacks to be their best selves. Often, they’re high performers, caretakers, founders, creatives, empaths, leaders, or anyone curious about energy. We all look “fine” from the outside, yet feel anxious, scattered, tired, or emotionally flat inside. Our Imaging system, developed by Inneractive, is like an X-ray for the mind, body, and spirit. It’s also for people in transition: grief, burnout, fertility journeys, divorce, new motherhood, relocation, reinvention, new job or career. When life changes, your nervous system changes. Your energy changes. That’s where our work is powerful – because it helps people see where they are and reconnect with themselves with more self-acceptance. And yes, skeptics benefit too – oftentimes we say even more than most, especially the ones who want a data-driven approach. If you’re curious but you don’t want fluff, you’ll appreciate that we share data, charts, and that you get a 14-page report you can read at home. You also have a somatic experience, where you smell our oil blends and immediately move from the mind to the body. This is a game-changer for most people, as they have limited knowledge of aromatherapy and plant-based healing. How do your aroma-based products – essential oils, aura sprays, chakra oils – support a person’s energy, mood, and well-being? Our products are designed as “aroma perfume” – the beauty of fragrance with the function of aromatherapy. They support well-being in three ways: State shifting through breath: When you inhale a high-quality essential oil blend with intention, you can shift your nervous system in real time. Scent is a fast pathway to changing how you feel. Nervous system ritual: Daily use turns a product into an anchor. The body learns: “When I smell this, I settle.” Over time, that becomes emotional resilience. Personalization through the chakra framework: Instead of random self-care, people choose what supports their current need – grounding, confidence, expression, intuition, rest. This is why I say transformation is a practice. The products aren’t “magic.” They’re tools, high-frequency blends, memorable scent profiles that create mood memories and shifts that help you train yourself back into calm, clarity, and self-trust. In the end, you become the main ingredient. Can you share a story or example of a client whose life or energy transformed after working with you? A family once came into our store together – three generations: a grandmother, parents, and their daughter in her 30s. We offered aura and chakra readings for everyone. After the grandmother and mother finished, they stepped away for a moment, and the father and daughter stayed with me to review the daughter’s results more closely. Her reading was striking. She was living with a serious illness – her immune system was under significant strain – and it showed in the areas of the chakra system connected to physical resilience and vitality, which appeared low. But what stood out just as strongly was the quality of her aura: rich violets and blues, often associated with intuition, faith, and a deep connection to inner strength. In other words, while her body was carrying a heavy load, her spirit was unmistakably steady. She seemed to be drawing on trust – both in herself and in something greater than herself—as a real source of support. As we talked through this, her father became emotional. Not because we were “telling the future,” but because the reading put words to what their family had been living: the courage it takes to keep showing up, and the invisible ways someone can cope and stay anchored even in difficulty. The father and daughter also appeared energetically very attuned – connected in a way that felt protective and deeply supportive. We also observed a wider range of expression in the family dynamic overall, which is common when a family is under stress, and everyone is trying to love each other in the best way they know how. A few weeks later, the father mailed a handwritten card to thank us. He said the experience was incredibly meaningful – that his daughter felt seen and understood in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. That’s what we aim for at Auratherapy: not judgment, not labels – just a clear mirror and a moment of recognition that says, “We see you.” What makes Auratherapy different from other wellness or holistic healing offerings out there? Auratherapy is built on one principle: healing should be actionable, and you are your own healer. We’re different because we combine: Products + Services + Events: not just an experience, and not just a product line – we have created an ecosystem. Ancient wisdom + modern structure: chakras and energy, translated into practical language and consistent rituals. Premium aromatherapy designed like fragrance: elevated, wearable, and functional – without the synthetic overload. Self-leadership: our goal isn’t dependency. Our goal is that you create rituals and habits you can master. We don’t sell mystery. We teach a method. We offer this in our stores, at retreats and events, and partner with some of the best wellness brands in the industry. How do you integrate science (data, biofeedback) with spirituality (energy, chakras, healing) in your approach? I believe science and spirituality are two languages describing the same human experience. Data gives you a snapshot. Spirituality can give your life meaning. When you combine them, you get both insight and transformation. In practice, we use modern tools to capture patterns and create clarity, then we translate that information through the chakra framework and apply it through ritual: breathwork, scent, and daily practices that regulate the nervous system. That’s the bridge. I’m not interested in “woo.” I’m interested in results – more calm, better boundaries, clearer decisions, more self-trust, and a stronger relationship with your own body and inner knowing. What’s a common misconception people have about aura readings or energy work – and how do you address it? The most common misconception is that aura readings are either fake or that they’re supernatural and predictive. Neither is true in the way we practice. An Auratherapy reading is not fortune-telling, and it’s not a replacement for medical care. It’s a structured reflection tool. It helps people see patterns, name what they’re experiencing, and choose supportive actions. I address the misconception by keeping the work grounded: clear language, practical takeaways, and an emphasis on personal responsibility. The reading is the beginning. We provide that. The ritual is the transformation. That’s on you! If someone is curious but skeptical, what would you say to encourage them to try an aura reading or your aromatherapy services? I would say: you don’t have to “believe” in anything. Treat it like an experiment. Come in once. Get your reading. Notice what resonates. Leave with one simple practice and try it for seven days. If you feel no difference, you’ve gained information – and you can move on. But if you do feel a difference, you’ve discovered a tool you can use for the rest of your life. Most skeptics don’t need convincing – they need a grounded experience that respects their intelligence. Auratherapy is designed exactly for that: practical, elevated, and results-driven. The goal is not to make you more spiritual. The goal is to help you explain “you to you”. Call to Action: If you’re ready to stop outsourcing your well-being and start building a daily practice that actually changes how you feel, Auratherapy is a powerful place to begin. Start with an aura and chakra reading to get clear on what your system needs right now, or choose a chakra blend and pair it with a simple breath ritual for the next seven days. Healing doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be consistent. And that consistency begins with one decision: to adore yourself, today. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Laura McCann

Written by Stephen Vaughan, Leadership Development Expert Stephen Vaughan is a leadership development expert with over 20 years of experience. He specialises in designing & delivering bespoke programmes & coaching sessions & is due to complete his PhD, Resilience in Leaders, in 2025. If I’m not in the best of moods, so what? We’ve all been there. You wake up on the wrong side of the bed, spill coffee on your shirt, get stuck in traffic, or receive that one email that just pushes you over the edge. But as long as you keep it to yourself, it doesn’t matter, right? How many of us have had that internal dialogue? Probably more than we’d admit. But the truth is, it might be time to have a different conversation with ourselves. Back in 2014, James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis conducted research into the ripple effect of human emotions, specifically happiness and sadness, and what they found was revealing: Spend time with someone who’s happy, and you’re 25% more likely to feel happy yourself. Happy people cluster together. So do sad people. The bottom line? Moods are contagious. Whether you realise it or not, whatever you’re carrying, enthusiasm or frustration, optimism or despair, spreads. I still remember travelling to a meeting with an executive team when I got a call saying the CEO had pulled out and the meeting would be cancelled. Naturally, I asked why. The reply? “It’s not going to be a good day here today.” “How do you know?” I asked. “Oh, Steve, trust me. Everyone knows.” That’s the thing about mood, even when we think we’re hiding it, we’re not. Leadership consultant Joseph Folkman’s research backs this up. He found that 38% of leaders who described themselves as disengaged had teams that were also disengaged. Those teams weren’t just a little flat, they were frustrated, checked out, and more than half were actively looking for another job. When you began reading this, you might have believed your mood was yours alone. But the evidence is hard to ignore. Our emotional state leaks out in small but undeniable ways. We get snappy when we’re tired. Disinterested when we’re sad. Careless when we’re angry. And if you’ve noticed a colleague who’s irritable, unmotivated, or procrastinating, it’s worth asking, "Are they catching something from you?" Now, let’s be realistic. None of us can be in a brilliant mood every day. Life happens. Challenges blindside us. Plans fall apart. People disappoint us. So the goal isn’t to pretend everything’s fine when it isn’t. The real question is this: How good are you on a bad day? We judge ourselves by our intentions. Others judge us by our impact. On your best days, showing up well is effortless. On your worst days, it becomes character. So how do we be the best version of ourselves when we’re off track? 1. Let people know This isn’t about oversharing. It’s about setting expectations. Saying, “I’m not at my best today, I’d appreciate a bit of patience,” isn’t weakness. It’s self-awareness. 2. Put things in perspective Ask yourself whether your emotions are amplifying the situation. What’s the worst that could happen? Is it likely? And even if it did happen, what could you actually do about it? Shift from catastrophising to problem-solving. 3. Change your scenery Research shows that changing your surroundings or your physical state can quickly shift your mood. A walk. A different workspace. A moment outside. Sometimes a new view really does change your view. 4. Speak to your go-to person The people who “get you” can help you reset, empathising without letting you spiral. Moods spread, so seek out the ones worth catching. 5. Write down what you love Gail Matthews’ 2014 research found you're 42% more likely to achieve something if you write it down. So, put pen to paper, "What do you love?" "What are you looking forward to?" "Who lifts you up?" This simple act can shift your emotional centre. Voltaire once said, “The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.” We don’t need to dive into the philosophical debate about choice right now. What matters is recognising that your mood, good or bad, doesn’t stay contained. It spills, it spreads, it shapes the people and the world around you. So on the good days, get out there and spread the good. And on the bad days? No hiding. No excuses. No blame. Just be the best version of yourself available in that moment. You can be good on a bad day. Remember that. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Stephen Vaughan Stephen Vaughan, Leadership Development Expert Stephen Vaughan is a world-class facilitator, executive coach, and MD of Fabric Learning. With a background in professional sports and academics, and now over 20 years of experience in learning and development, he specialises in designing & delivering bespoke development programmes for organisations ranging from small not-for-profits to large multinational organisations all over the world. The majority of his work centres around leadership, whether that be executive boards, high potentials, or first-time leaders, empowering individuals to achieve increased performance & results, deliberately encouraging a sense of fun, which makes effective learning a far more enjoyable experience. He describes himself as a pracademic.

Written by Amanda Dounis, Counsellor, NLP, Psychotherapist, Coach, Teacher Amanda Dounis is a Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist, and Clinical Supervisor based in Sydney, Australia. She is the founder of the Positive Thinking Clinic, where she supports children, teens, and adults through evidence-based therapies, including counselling, hypnotherapy, and EMDR. Overthinking is one of the most common mental habits affecting people today, from high-performing professionals and parents to teenagers and even young children. Many of the clients I see describe their minds as “always busy,” “never switching off,” or “running ahead of me.” Although overthinking appears to be a cognitive problem, it is deeply emotional, driven by unconscious processes that influence perception, behaviour, and decision-making. This is where Strategic Psychotherapy stands apart. Rather than analysing the past or trying to simply replace thoughts with positive ones, strategic work focuses on the process behind the client’s thinking, the habits, responses, and cognitive loops that keep the problem alive. Once those processes are brought into awareness, they can be interrupted and reshaped into more flexible and functional patterns. Ultimately, Strategic Psychotherapy teaches clients how to think differently, not just what to think. Overthinking as a process, not an identity Most people who overthink assume it is a personality trait, “I’ve always been like this.” In reality, overthinking is a learned strategy, a sequence of small internal steps that run automatically. A typical pattern may include scanning for potential problems, rehearsing worst-case scenarios, replaying conversations, over-analysing decisions, and holding back until absolute certainty is present. These steps create a self-reinforcing cycle. The more a person overthinks, the more anxious they feel, and the more anxious they feel, the more they lean on overthinking as a misguided form of control. Strategic Psychotherapy disrupts this cycle by helping clients understand not why they overthink, but how the pattern operates moment to moment. What makes the strategic model different Unlike approaches that require clients to examine or debate every thought, Strategic Psychotherapy begins by mapping the unconscious “strategy” behind their experience. Most people do not realise how quickly they catastrophise, predict negative outcomes, or mentally rehearse imagined problems. Once these micro-processes are identified, the therapist helps the client install new, more flexible cognitive habits such as shifting attention, interrupting patterns early, and strengthening emotional awareness. This approach also teaches clients to become active participants in their internal world. Rather than feeling swept away by their thoughts, they learn to lead themselves with clarity and confidence. Understanding common cognitive loops People who overthink often fall into predictable mental patterns. For instance, they may misuse imagination by imagining threats rather than possibilities. They may try to resolve emotional discomfort through thinking alone, despite the fact that feelings require regulation, not logic. Many seek a level of certainty that simply does not exist in life, resulting in paralysis. Others mentally construct worst-case outcomes as a way to feel prepared, unaware of how much emotional energy this drains. Strategic Psychotherapy helps clients step out of these loops and develop the skill of mental flexibility, the ability to shift perspective quickly, change mental gears, and choose a different response when old patterns appear. Interrupting the loop: How strategic techniques work One of the core skills taught is pattern interruption. Clients learn to catch the very first moment the loop begins, the small, often unnoticed step that usually sets off a cascade of worry. Interrupting the sequence early prevents the escalation that typically leads to overwhelm. Another important element is emotional discrimination. Overthinkers frequently treat all uncomfortable feelings as emergencies. By learning to differentiate between discomfort and danger, uncertainty and threat, stress and overwhelm, clients immediately reduce the emotional intensity that fuels the thinking loop. Externalising the internal process also plays a powerful role. When clients begin mapping their overthinking out loud, they gain distance from it. They shift from being caught inside the experience to observing it objectively. Strategic work also helps clients stop predicting the future and begin observing what is actually happening. This simple shift reduces anxiety and improves decision-making dramatically. Finally, the therapeutic process introduces the idea of “good enough” thinking. Overthinkers often search for perfect answers, perfect timing, or perfect outcomes. When they learn to aim for “good enough to move forward,” they find themselves acting more decisively and with less fear. Building mental flexibility: The antidote to overthinking Mental flexibility is at the heart of long-term change. It involves noticing thoughts without fighting them, shifting attention deliberately, allowing uncertainty without spiralling, regulating emotions before analysing them, and responding with intention rather than reacting impulsively. When clients understand that thoughts are not instructions, merely mental events, they stop treating them as urgent. As their thinking softens, they become more grounded, more confident, and more available to life. A realistic example of transformation A woman in her mid-30s came to therapy overwhelmed by constant mental activity. She analysed text messages, rehearsed conversations, and second-guessed decisions. Together, we mapped her overthinking pattern: a moment of uncertainty triggered scanning for danger, which led to amplified possibilities, physical anxiety, and more overthinking in an attempt to calm the discomfort. By interrupting each stage through emotional labelling, pattern recognition, and shifting perspective, she quickly noticed shorter spirals, faster recovery, and less mental rehearsal. Most importantly, she began acting without waiting for perfect certainty. The transformation came not from eliminating her thoughts but from changing her relationship  with them. Overthinking isn’t the problem, the process is Strategic Psychotherapy reframes overthinking not as a flaw or diagnosis, but as a process that can be unlearned. When people understand how their mind creates the experience, they gain the ability to change it. Mental flexibility becomes a skill, confidence becomes a behaviour, and the mind becomes an ally instead of an obstacle. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Amanda Dounis Amanda Dounis, Counsellor, NLP, Psychotherapist, Coach, Teacher Amanda Dounis is a Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist, and Clinical Supervisor based in Sydney, Australia. She is the founder of the Positive Thinking Clinic, where she supports children, teens, and adults through evidence-based therapies, including counselling, hypnotherapy, and EMDR. With a background in early childhood education and a passion for emotional wellness, Amanda empowers clients to overcome anxiety, overthinking, and self-doubt so they can thrive with confidence and clarity.

Written by Mahvish Hasan, Heaven on Earth Strategist Mavi Hasan is a Reiki Master, Breathwork Facilitator, and Soul Strategy Guide. Through her brand Amor by MaviB, she helps individuals heal from trauma, release emotional blockages, and embody higher consciousness. Her mission is to guide humanity in remembering Heaven within, one heart at a time. There is a moment in every woman’s awakening when her voice no longer trembles. It doesn’t matter if she’s whispering prayers in the dark, speaking truth in a boardroom, or roaring her pain into the winds of rebirth, she remembers that her voice is fire. For centuries, the Divine Feminine has been silenced, contained, and misunderstood. But what we are witnessing now, in this age of remembrance, is the resurrection of her elemental nature. She is not just softness and light, she is also flame and truth. Her purpose is not to please or conform, but to illuminate, to burn away illusion so that authenticity may rise from the ashes. Fire as the language of the Feminine When I speak of fire, I’m not referring to destruction alone. I speak of the sacred alchemy that fire represents. The way it transforms everything it touches. The voice of the Divine Feminine is not a weapon, it is a torch that brings light into the forgotten corners of our collective consciousness. Each time a woman honors her intuition, speaks her boundaries, or refuses to shrink into silence, she becomes that fire. She becomes the living embodiment of transmutation, turning pain into power and fear into faith. I’ve witnessed this through my own journey. I once believed that being spiritual meant being endlessly patient, gentle, and forgiving. But the deeper I dove into my healing, the more I understood, the Feminine is fierce because she loves so deeply. Her rage is not violence, it is truth reclaiming its voice. The fire within our throat Our throat chakra, the energetic seat of expression, has been the most suppressed center for generations of women. We’ve been taught to stay quiet, agreeable, and “grateful.” But this age calls for a new vibration, one where love and fire coexist. When we speak from our soul, our words carry frequency. They ignite remembrance in others. I call this fire-coded communication, a way of transmitting energy through truth, tone, and presence. When we speak from our higher self, our voice doesn’t just communicate, it activates. Whether I am guiding a client through breathwork, leading a ceremony, or channeling through light language, I feel this sacred fire rise. It moves through me as divine will, not from anger, but from alignment. It is love in motion. The rebirth of feminine leadership We are shifting into a paradigm where leadership is no longer about dominance but energetic coherence. The new feminine leader doesn’t lead through control, she leads through embodiment. She knows that her authenticity permits others to remember their own. In this rebirth of leadership, we are being called to bridge heaven and earth, to bring spiritual wisdom into tangible creation. The feminine fire helps us do that. It keeps us honest. It keeps us awake. When we combine sacred intention with grounded action, we begin to live in rhythm with the divine. Our words become prayer, our work becomes service, and our presence becomes medicine. Embodying the fire in daily life The practice of living as a flame is a daily devotion. It means choosing to speak when silence becomes self-betrayal. It means letting go of outdated versions of ourselves that no longer resonate with our highest truth. Here are a few ways to embody your own divine fire: Breathe before you speak. Let your breath carry your truth, not your triggers. Honor your anger as sacred information. It shows you where boundaries need to be restored. Create before you consume. Every act of creation fans the flame of purpose. Surround yourself with other flames. Sisterhood is how we remember our collective power. Pray with your voice. Speak your desires aloud, words are spells of creation. Lighting the path forward The fire of the Divine Feminine is not meant to destroy the world, it is intended to rebirth it. When we remember our voice as sacred, we ignite a ripple effect across generations. We raise daughters who do not apologize for their power. We birth communities that value compassion over competition. We create a planet where truth and tenderness coexist. My prayer is simple: May every woman remember that her fire is holy. May every word she speaks carry the codes of awakening. And may her light illuminate the way home, for all of us. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Mahvish Hasan Mahvish Hasan, Heaven on Earth Strategist MaviB is the founder of Amor by MaviB, a spiritual wellness brand devoted to helping women heal generational wounds, reclaim their voice, and rise into sovereign embodiment. As a Soul Strategist™, energy alchemist, and channel for divine guidance, she weaves ancient healing with modern leadership. Her work integrates Reiki, breathwork, intuitive coaching, and quantum energy work to support conscious transformation. MaviB’s mission is to co-create Heaven on Earth, one soul at a time. She specializes in guiding South Asian women and spiritual visionaries into alignment, purpose, and deep inner peace.