My friend, are you sweeping anything under the rug?

In other words, are you bottling anything up?

Growing up I was told I was too sensitive or that I felt too deeply. And as a result, I was often made fun of.

So naturally I started to lock those emotions away…

Focus on the good, appreciate what I have. And look, I’m all down for gratitude and looking at the bright side but in my case it got to an extreme where I became numb to the emotions I pushed down

There’s nothing more daunting than being numb.

I would watch sad videos but feel nothing. It’s almost as if I wasn’t here. When any uncomfortable feeling kicked in, my mind would instantly jump into this script–something along the lines of “it’s OK, they didn’t mean to hurt you. They’re going through a tough time” or “You’re doing great, at least you have all these other things to be grateful for”.

While the first script helped me be extremely empathetic with others it disconnected me from myself. The latter helped me look controlled and calm at the expense of my body holding onto these unprocessed emotions instead. Which, you’ve guessed it, manifested through illnesses and imbalances.

It’s been quite a journey to reconnect to the sensitive, inner child within me. But I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. Yes, I cry very easily now but my gosh do I feel so much more alive.

That’s why I’m so excited to share today’s episode with my dear friend Shukie.

Farihah Begum, also known as Shukie, is an engineer, yoga guide, and food blogger. She loves to share wellness tips, not just through meditation, movement, and nutrition, but also through her experiences in improving her mental health. Shukie shares candidly about her experiences such as growing up in the south asian community in Brooklyn, mental health stigmas and overall wellness. This is another conversation where we could’ve chatted for hours!

In today’s episode Shukie shares:

• Her grandma’s memory and influence on her
• Dealing with anxiety and depression and how yoga helped her
• How therapy benefitted her
• Mental health and beauty standards in the South Asian community
• Toxic positivity in the wellness industry and how it’s shifting
• Her detox from social media to make space for herself
• How we make rules to feel better but end up restricting ourselves

And if you’re visual like me here’s a video of our conversation 🙂

Shownotes

SHUKIE’S FAVOURITE BOOK:

• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

FIND SHUKIE HERE:

• www.shukieyoga.com

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Instagram – www.instagram.com/wholeandunleashed

Email – hi@wholeandunleashed.com

What was your takeaway from today’s episode?