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Inner Peace to Go

88 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 28 ratings

A podcast about how to find more peace and ease in your life without meditating on a mountaintop for years. Learn from science, from sages and from self-help about how to bring more balance and joy to your everyday life through small, actionable steps. Featuring interviews with experts and other amazing people who share their paths to peace, insights from scientific studies and actionable tips you can put into practice today. Hosted by journalist Sandy Cohen (on Instagram & Twitter @YouKnowSandy) with new episodes weekly.

Mental Health Health & Fitness
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Episodes

The how & why of self-compassion

March 25, 2024 08:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MB

If your inner critic is working overtime to help you reach your goals -- and reminding you what a loser you are any time you fall short -- you're not alone.  But there's a better way, and not only does it feel WAY better than constant berating and belittling, it actually makes you more likely to reach your goals and to feel good doing it. It's self-compassion, and it's scientifically proven to boost optimism, resilience, life satisfaction and purpose. It also boosts inner peace -- knowing ...

Your Miraculous Body

March 18, 2024 08:00 - 12 minutes - 8.33 MB

What did you have to do to earn the ability to circulate your blood, digest your food, grow your hair and heal your broken bones? Not a damn thing! This week, we're talking about how our body's capacity to heal itself is evidence of your inherent worthiness. You don't have to do anything to earn it. You don't have to prove that you deserve your broken bones to mend or a cut on your hand to heal. It just happens, because you are alive. You are already as worthy as you could ever be of goodn...

Your inherent worth

March 11, 2024 08:00 - 13 minutes - 9.47 MB

Most of us have been raised to believe that our value comes from what we do -- whether we're successful at work, get good grades, make a lot of money, etc. But when you were a baby, you did none of those things, and yet nobody around you doubted your worth. Even you believed you were 100% worthy. You cried for what you wanted and expected it to be provided, never considering whether you deserved it. This week, let's remember our inherent worth, the value that comes with just being alive, a...

Who do you think you are?

March 04, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MB

When we think about who we are, we generally go to our name, maybe age or gender, and the roles we play in our life: a mom, a sister, a lawyer, etc.  But there's bountiful peace to be had when we expand our notion of who we are to the consciousness that perceives our name, age, gender and life roles. When we identify more as the observer, the witness of our experiences, rather than the experiencer. The practice of connecting with awareness has been practiced for millennia in wisdom traditi...

Beware these thought traps!

February 26, 2024 09:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MB

Our thoughts are a key way we make sense of the world, so it's easy to default into thinking our thoughts are true. It must be true because I thought it! Of course, our thoughts are just as fallible as any other human endeavor. Our thoughts aren't always true, and they definitely aren't always helpful. Our thoughts can stress us out and make us feel stuck. They can make us feel bad about ourselves and the circumstances of our lives. One simple way to know if your thoughts are painting a bi...

#60: Don't believe everything you think

February 19, 2024 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MB

Years ago I saw a bumper sticker that said "Don't believe everything you think" and I thought it was so funny -- like that's even possible!?! But now, more than a decade into my journey into developing more inner peace, I know that deciding which thoughts to invest in and which to ignore is essential to living with less stress and more happiness. In this episode, I talk about the concept of not believing everything you think, why you might want to be more discerning about which thoughts to...

When to take a break

June 12, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 9.7 MB

How do you know when it's time to take a break and if you really need one? Breaks are part of the rhythm of life -- and they're essential to success. We all need them. That's why football games have halftime and bears hibernate all winter! I will be taking a break from producing weekly episodes of "Inner Peace to Go" until I finish the internship required for my Master's of Public Health degree (almost there- woohooo!) I'll still be hosting my monthly book club, so if you'd like to conne...

Look how far you've come

May 29, 2023 17:00 - 10 minutes - 7.39 MB

In the hustle culture we live in, it's always about GO GO GO! What's next, whatcha doing, whatcha getting? We look out at the horizon at all the things we want and goals we hope to achieve. There is great value in taking a moment to look back and appreciate how far we've come. Yes, there are things we're working on, dreams we're in the process of making come true. But we couldn't even consider these dreams if it weren't for everything we've done so far. Looking back at how far we've come c...

Mental health, meds and me

May 22, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MB

Because it's Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to share my own mental health and medication journey with you. It can be so scary to confront our own mental health issues (it certainly was for me), and it's often complicated by whatever stigma and hangups we have about medication, therapy and all of that (true for me). So I am sharing my warts-and-all journey through diagnosis and treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder and my experiences with Zoloft a...

Lessons from 'The High 5 Habit'

May 15, 2023 18:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MB

Sharing gems of wisdom from Mel Robbins' newest book, "The High 5 Habit." The Self-Help Circle book club (join us!) dug into this title this month and we all gleaned some practical tools and eye-opening insights from it, so I wanted to pass our discoveries along! My favorite takeaway, which I've been doing daily, is "high-fiving my heart" and telling myself, "I am safe. I am loved. I am held." If you like reading personal development books and are looking for some loving folks to discuss ...

How to find meaning and success at work

May 08, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.3 MB

Dorie Clark is one of the most brilliant minds in business today, but what I love most about her is that she keeps humanity at the center of everything she does. So when it comes to finding both meaning and success at work, it's about making smart decisions about what we take on and keeping long-term goals in sight, even when we don't have evidence of the results. Dorie is a professor at Columbia University and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and the author of several books, mos...

Inner peace takes action

May 01, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MB

If only reading self-help, psychology and spirituality books were enough to bring about inner peace. I'd be a levitating deity by now! But as a beloved therapist told me, "You can't think your way into well-being. You can only act your way into well-being." This episode offers ideas on the kinds of actions that lead us to feeling more grounded and at ease with ourselves, like we have our own backs and the storms of life won't blow us away with the smallest breeze. In this episode, I menti...

Bonus! An oracle card reading for May

May 01, 2023 07:00 - 5 minutes - 3.91 MB

Let's get some guidance from the Goddesses! Our oracle card for May comes from the Goddess Guidance oracle deck by Doreen Virtue. We are in for a healing month, yay! Please keep in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com. Get your free Stress Busters ebook, packed with actionable tips to bring on the chill!

What we get wrong about stress

April 24, 2023 09:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MB

Stress is a part of life, but chronic stress is another thing entirely. Staying stressed all the time harms our health and happiness. Let's talk about what we get wrong about stress and what actually works to dial back stress and calm our nervous system. Please keep in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com. Get your free Stress Busters ebook, packed with actionable tips to bring on the chill!

Breathwork, trauma and healing

April 17, 2023 09:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MB

We hear a lot about breathwork in the healing & personal development spaces, but what is it exactly? Same with trauma -- do we all have it? And what do we do about it? Dominiece Clifton has answers on all of the above. A trauma-informed breathwork, yoga and meditation teacher, author, speaker, podcaster and self-proclaimed "stress-pert," Dominiece has been inspired by her own healing journey to share the tools that helped her release her old identity as a stressed-out perfectionist to becom...

Making peace with regret

April 03, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MB

Regret is a powerful emotion. It's often uncomfortable and tinged with grief. But it can also be a place of growth, says writer, teacher and podcaster Lynne Thompson. Listen to hear how to turn down the volume of regret in your head and heart and metabolize this emotion into a richer life experience. Lynne is the host of The Storied Human podcast. Connect with her on Instagram @lthompson_574 and email her at [email protected]. Please keep in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy...

Bonus! April oracle card reading

April 01, 2023 09:00 - 5 minutes - 3.71 MB

It's going to be an abundant April! Card chosen from "Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards" by Doreen Virtue Please keep in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com. Get your free Stress Busters ebook, packed with actionable tips to bring on the chill!

Life is not an emergency

March 27, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 8.07 MB

It's easy to feel like the ordinary challenges of life are Important Emergencies, but the truth is that we mostly create this idea in our heads. Of course, there are legitimate emergencies, like if you think someone is having a stroke or if your baby is about to tip a pot of hot soup off the stove onto themselves. But most things in life are not emergencies. Convincing ourselves that they are only serves to stress us out. This is one of the most important lessons I've ever learned from th...

Protect your waking moments

March 20, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MB

Before the stress of the day grabs you by the throat, can you take a minute or two to enjoy your waking moments -- that fleeting time between sleep and fully awakening -- to just appreciate that you have another chance at life today? Starting with a moment to yourself -- whether you spend it just appreciating the warmth of your cozy bed, look out the window and contemplate the day or take a few deep breaths in gratitude -- sets you up for a much calmer morning and more peaceful disposition ...

How to escape the thought prison

March 13, 2023 09:00 - 52 minutes - 35.8 MB

When you're stuck in a thought prison, life can be like "a living death," says Richard Harris, a transformational life coach and personal development devotee. For Richard (and for me) wellness goes beyond the physical. Once we get our physical health in order through sleep, exercise and nutrition, it's time to dig into the deeper realms of psychology and spirituality. In this conversation, we talk about the obstacles to inner peace, how to escape the thought prisons we're brought up in and...

Simplifying wellness

March 06, 2023 10:00 - 41 minutes - 28.2 MB

When we're stressed, overwhelmed and feeling disconnected from ourselves, it can seem like we need a major life overhaul to get us back on track. But today's guest, mental health counselor and coach Heather McMahon, shares how simple strategies can actually help us reset our outlook and reconnect to our inner wisdom. For more of Heather's insights, connect with her on Instagram @creating__you and be sure to check out her podcast, Creating You. Wishing you a peaceful week! Please keep in...

Bonus! An oracle card reading for March

March 01, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutes - 5.33 MB

Arise!! That's the message from the Rumi Oracle for us for March. I'm reading from this gorgeous deck, and love this reminder that we are blazing angels made of divinity. What does this card and its message mean to you? Please let me know! Please keep in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com. Get your free Stress Busters ebook, packed with actionable tips to bring on the chill!

Self-love and the art of manifestation

February 27, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MB

What's the connection between manifestation, self-love and feeling our feelings? Author, coach and self-love expert Kelsey Aida is here to explain. Plus she leads me to an unexpected exploration of my own feelings, where I notice grief in my body and feel it morph and move. It was a trip! Check out more of Kelsey's wisdom on her website, KelseyAida.com, and her podcast, High Vibin' It. You can also find her on Instagram @kelseyaida. She mentions her book "The Mini-Book of Self-Love for t...

How to find purpose at work

February 20, 2023 10:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MB

Working without purpose can seriously detract from our personal peace, but finding that purpose can feel so elusive. Maybe we've raised the stakes too much? I'm sharing lessons I learned from experts about how lowering the pressure, expanding our perspective and getting clear on our personal definition of success can help us find more meaning in our work. This episode is based on an article I wrote for Shondaland.com that you can read here. If you'd like some support as you find your pur...

Bonus! Love yourself this Valentine's Day (and every day)

February 14, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 6.13 MB

On this day of love, here's a reminder to tend to the most important relationship in your life: the one you have with incredible, amazing YOU! I've got three quick, easy strategies to help cultivate or boost self-love that you can do today or anytime -- one each for mind, body and spirit. You are the one beautiful soul who will be by your side your whole life, and you deserve at least as much loving care as the other beloveds in your life. Here's to you! Happy Valentine's Day. Please ke...

How to create a life you love

February 13, 2023 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MB

When your days feel like drudgery, how do you begin to create a life you love? How do you find the confidence and faith to make big changes? Organizational psychologist, coach and artist Clarissa Castillo-Ramsey has answers. Not only has she done this in her own life, she now helps clients paint their own path to a life that feels fulfilling, delicious and joyful. In this conversation, we discuss: • The importance of making decisions about your future • How to feel more empowered by review...

Make peace with your body

February 06, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MB

Some of the most popular New Year's resolutions have to do with losing weight and getting fit, yet research shows that most of us have likely abandoned our resolutions by now, six weeks into the new year. But what if we could love our bodies no matter what they look like? Actually, we can.  I'm sharing my own experience with body hate and body love and expert recommendations for how we can feel better in our own bodies. Please keep in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpea...

Bonus! An oracle card reading for February

February 01, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 5.77 MB

Let's start of the month with some Rumi! I got a beautiful new oracle card deck, Rumi Oracle by Alana Fairchild, and I've been so taken with its inspiring messages, so I wanted to share them with you! I'll pick a new card for us each month. Love to hear your thoughts on this card,  "A New Gown." Message me on IG @YouKnowSandy or drop me an email at [email protected]. This is the deck I'm reading from. Please keep in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com...

How to nail your New Year's resolutions

December 30, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MB

About 80% of people abandon their New Year's resolutions by February, but that doesn't have to be you! I've got six science-backed and life-tested tips for you to help you nail your New Year's resolutions this year -- and to actually HAVE FUN and FEEL GOOD doing it. These are the tips I'll be incorporating as I take on my BIG GOAL for 2023: to complete my book proposal. Please let me know if you find these tips helpful! DM me on IG @YouKnowSandy or drop me an email here. And you are invi...

Bonus! What I learned from my monthlong Gratitude Challenge

December 05, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.87 MB

I decided to do a gratitude challenge during the month of November to notice something different each day that I was grateful for and share it online. In this episode, I share what the experience was like. (Spoiler alert: It was great. Totally recommend.) Studies show that keeping a gratitude journal for a period of time has lasting benefits, even once the journaling practice is done, so I'm expecting lasting benefits! Let me know if you try your own gratitude challenge and how it goes! D...

Why gratitude is good for inner peace

November 14, 2022 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MB

Grateful people enjoy better mental and physical health and a stronger immune system. Free to practice and available to all, gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to boost well-being and inner peace. In this final episode of season 1, my friend Branimir Kvartuc and I discuss the science of gratitude and why being thankful is so good for us. Here's my Shondaland.com article about the benefits of gratitude. And please know how grateful I am to YOU for listening to this podcast. I deep...

Less news, more happiness

November 07, 2022 10:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MB

Limiting your news consumption leads to greater inner peace. Most of the news we're exposed to is bad news -- nobody reports on the plane that lands safely -- and seeing all these terrible happenings triggers a stress response, which tells our nervous system we're in danger, even if we're safely at home on the couch. I have worked in the news business for more than two decades, and I got happier when I consumed less news. I don't look at any news until I log in for work and don't read news...

What's up with our thoughts?

October 31, 2022 09:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MB

We know our thoughts influence how we feel, but what exactly ARE thoughts? What impacts them and how can we choose thoughts that make us feel supported and capable rather than criticized and inept? I'm sharing wisdom from psychiatrist Mark Levine, meditation teacher Tuere Sala and what psychology tells us about cognitive distortions. When we better understand the nature of our thoughts and learn to observe our thoughts, we're well positioned to change our thoughts and focus on ones that ma...

Bonus! Try a quick grounding meditation

October 20, 2022 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.5 MB

Inspired by my conversation with meditation teacher and student Masako Kozawa in episode 38, and by the latest book discussed in the Self-Help Circle book club, I am offering a short meditation in this episode. This meditation comes from "Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth," by Deepak Chopra. You can find it on page 232-233. Please let me know if you'd like to hear more meditations on this podcast! DM me @YouKnowSandy or email me at innerpeacetogo.com. And if you'd like to join the free ...

The hows and whys of meditation

October 17, 2022 09:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MB

Anyone on a quest for more inner peace has no doubt heard about the benefits of meditation. But even though the practice is simple -- just sit and breathe -- it can be so hard to do. Our thoughts race. We feel restless. Sometimes looking inside our minds can be uncomfortable and even scary. Masako Kozawa, a photographer and writer who describes herself as "a teacher and student of meditation," has been there. She came to meditation at one of her lowest points in life, desperate for anything...

How to make or break a habit

October 10, 2022 09:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MB

Habits are the scaffolding of our lives. They are the thoughts and behaviors we repeat regularly, shaping who and how we are in the world. No matter what habit you're trying to build or break, there are ways to make the process easier. I share eight expert strategies in this episode, many of which I've used myself to both break bad habits (like smoking) and build good ones (I finally meditate daily!). The books I mention in this episode are: "Badass Habits" by Jen Sincero "Tiny Habits" by ...

A pessimist's guide to manifesting

October 03, 2022 09:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MB

Do you have to believe in manifesting for it to work? Coach, hypnotherapist and author Daniel Olexa says no. In fact, he wrote the book on it: "The Pessimist's Guide to Manifesting: A Practical Approach to Making the Law of Attraction and 20 Other Universal Laws Work for You." It's all about mindset, he says, and understanding how this operating system affects what we see on the screen of our life. Find out more about Dan's work at DanielOlexa.com. You can follow him on Instagram @daniel...

Success ≠ happiness

September 26, 2022 09:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MB

One of the great myths of Western culture is that success equals happiness. You study hard, get a good job and BOOM, happiness forever. Um, no. So many of us get caught in this trap, striving striving striving for success so we can be happy while foregoing the things that would actually make us happy as we're wrapped up in that pursuit. I have experienced this personally and ended up burnt out and diagnosed with depression. Since then, I've learned what science shows actually makes us ha...

"Social friction" as a tool for self-knowledge

September 22, 2022 09:00 - 4 minutes - 3.33 MB

Welcome to Thursday thoughts -- brief thought prompts to consider as a way to bring more peace to your mind and more ease to your life. Today I'm talking about "social friction," a concept described by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee in his latest book, "Happy Mind, Happy Life." The idea is to explore the social interactions that cause friction in our days with a warm, gentle perspective: Why does this trigger me? What does it tell me about myself, my current energy and my state of mind? How can I g...

How to get what you want from work

September 19, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MB

How can we find meaning and success at work without giving our whole selves to the job? Dorie Clark has some ideas. It comes down to making smart decisions about what we agree to and keeping long-term goals in sight, even when we don't have evidence of the results. Dorie is a professor at Columbia University and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and the author of several books, most recently, "The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World." In this conversat...

What is my purpose?

September 12, 2022 09:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MB

What is my purpose? Isn't that the billion-dollar question. And is it something I find at work, or outside of work? And how do I find it? Dharma coach Heather Love has some answers for us. In this second installment of our series about inner peace at work, Heather shares the strategies she uses to help her clients reconnect with what matters most to them to bring deeper meaning to their lives -- whether on the job or not. (Hint: It requires making room for -- even prioritizing -- joy.) Th...

Finding purpose beyond work

September 05, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MB

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. So if you're spending your days at an unfulfilling job, it's important to cultivate joy where you can. Jamie Riene, host of "Breaking Up with Corporate" podcast, has learned to find purpose beyond her day job -- and sometimes within it. Listen as she shares how following a path of self-inquiry and self-development has allowed her to make a feeling of inner peace more constant in her life, no matter what's going on at work. We also discuss o...

Your changeable brain

August 29, 2022 09:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MB

Your brain is not a static organ. It's malleable and remains so throughout our lifespan. This is neuroplasticity, and it's great news for anyone with a brain! Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to create new synaptic connections and build new pathways. This principle is why our brains can adapt after injury and make room for new skills, like learning a language or how to play guitar. It's also something we can intentionally influence to make more helpful, peaceful thoughts our ...

Wisdom from the Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu

August 22, 2022 09:00 - 42 minutes - 29.3 MB

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama are two of the world's great spiritual leaders and they were also great friends. Filmmaker and activist Peggy Callahan spent a week filming these two luminaries for "Mission: Joy," a new documentary about the importance of joy and how we can create more of it in our lives. Peggy shares what she learned from these two holy men about gratitude, the solution to self-imposed suffering and how joy is a choice we can intentionally make. Sh...

The spiritual side of fitness

August 15, 2022 09:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MB

There's so much more to well-being than physical appearance. Kelsey Bryant discovered this firsthand when, despite a healthy diet and rigorous exercise routine that gave her an enviable physique, she still felt like something was missing. That's when she began integrating spirituality with exercise science. In this conversation, we discuss how connecting to a larger purpose makes it easier to make healthier choices and how true wellness incorporates body, mind and spirit. Kelsey is an ex...

Understanding the vagus nerve

August 01, 2022 09:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MB

Did you know our bodies have a built-in mechanism for activating a sense of calm? It's called the vagus nerve and it's directly connected to our parasympathetic nervous system, the rest-and-digest, tend-and-befriend condition that's opposite of fight or flight. I recently wrote about expert-recommended strategies for activating the vagus nerve for Shondaland.com. My friend Branimir Kvartuc joins me for this episode to talk about the science of the vagus nerve. You'll also hear in this c...

Two quick & easy calming techniques

July 25, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 9.85 MB

Usually, when we feel stressed, it's not because we're being chased by a bear or find our lives in immediate danger. Most often, we're stressed because of traffic, work stuff, relationship stuff, ordinary inconveniences and other things we face on the daily. That's when these two simple calming techniques can provide a quick dose of peace. In this episode, I share two science-backed techniques that leverage our physiology to calm the stress response within minutes. I use both of them often...

How to hear your intuition and live from your heart

July 11, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MB

What if we could live by our intuitive wisdom? Georgiana Alexander lets that inner voice guide her life and career. In this episode, she shares how to hear your intuition, live from the heart and honor your unique gifts. This episode is a re-run because it's one of the most popular to date! Find Georgie at chaoscalm.com and on Instagram @heyhellogeorgie and @thechaoscalm. Her podcast is called In the Calm. As always, I'm on Instagram @YouKnow Sandy. Thank you Michael Kobrin for the mus...

How to think more helpful thoughts

July 04, 2022 09:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MB

It can often feel like our thoughts are thinking us and we're just the audience for this endless stream of chatter in our minds. But we have a choice in which thoughts we pay attention to and which we ignore, and psychologist Brian Krolczyk explains a simple strategy for how to identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with thoughts that support our mental and emotional well-being. Brian is a psychologist, a health & wellness coach and director of the Health & Wellness Coaching program ...

A path to well-being: Declutter for peace of mind

June 20, 2022 09:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MB

Clutter isn't just an eyesore and a reason to not have guests over. It actually takes a toll on our mental health. People who spend time in cluttered spaces are more distracted and less calm. I am someone who personally struggles with clutter (of the books, clothes and cosmetics kind), so the tips presented in this episode are all ones I can use. This is the fourth installment in my Shondaland.com series, based on articles I've been writing for that website. You can read the original arti...

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