Embracing Wellness Within: How to destress and live a healthier, happier life – with Dr. Cindy Tsai

Are you feeling the health tug-of-war? Not sure how to choose between holistic self-care and traditional medicine? 

Dr. Cindy Tsai,  MD bridges this gap with grace, bringing a wealth of expertise on embracing wellness from within. Her own health odyssey unveils the transformative effects of the mind-body synergy, guiding us through the murky waters of chronic stress and its toll on our vitality. Together, we unearth the beauty of mindfulness and self-compassion in crafting a life brimming with fulfillment.

Navigating the health landscape can often feel like untangling a complex web, but it's a journey Cindy is here to simplify it.

Cindy and I dissect the art of health advocacy, echoing the sentiment that we can empower ourselves to make choices that resonate deeply with our unique paths. Understanding our own stories and the power of self-care is pivotal – but what does it really mean?

As we wrap our enriching dialogue, Dr. Tsai and I reflect on the double-edged sword of perfectionism and the liberation found in self-compassion. We throw a spotlight on authenticity, stressing its role in not just our own lives, but also in inspiring those around us to shed their own veils. In the spirit of embracing life's quirks, we invite you to join us in finding joy in the imperfections that make our lives and our journeys through health and happiness, truly extraordinary.

Dr. Cindy Tsai, MD, is an award-winning board-certified Physician, TEDx Speaker, Bestselling Author and Chief Wellness Officer. As the Founder of Yes & More, a personal growth and wellness company, she empowers leaders and organizations to thrive and say YES to themselves and more through a compassionate approach incorporating mindfulness and other mind-body-spirit wellness modalities. Her extensive training at Ivy League institutions and clinical experiences as both an Internal Medicine and Integrative Medicine physician highlighted the impact of chronic stress on the body and fueled her mission to do more than prescribe medications as a band-aid. Her passions lie in preventative health and holistic well-being with a vision to foster a healthier and happier world.

• Website
• Services
• TEDx talk

Social media handle @cindytsaimd

• LinkedIn
• IG
• FB
• YouTube
• Get her book 
• Get her freebie "So Much Better Energy Blueprint: Gain Energy Without Overdosing Caffeine"

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Hi and welcome to Untethered with Jen Liss, the podcast that's here to help you break free, be you and unleash your inner brilliance. I'm your host, Jen, and in this episode we're going to talk about how to de-stress and live a happier and healthier life with balance. Let's dive in. Hey there, Unicorn, it's Jen. Welcome back to the podcast. Today we have an amazing guest, Dr Cindy Tsai.

Speaker 1: 0:39

Dr Cindy is an award-winning board-certified physician, TEDx speaker, best-selling author and chief wellness officer. She is also the founder of yes and More, a personal growth and wellness company. The work that she does empowers leaders and organizations to thrive and say yes to themselves through a more compassionate approach to incorporating mindfulness and other mind, body, spirit wellness modalities. What I love so much, and why I invited Dr Cindy to come on and talk, is that she really blends the Western and the Eastern, the medicinal, the traditional, what we consider in the Western world traditional medicinal and the ancient medicinal. She looks at all of it and tells people choose what works for you, while inviting compassion for yourself, and so I think she brings a very unique thought process, a unique approach. She herself had a medical thing happen to her that completely shifted her own perspective about the way that she looks at this and the way that she treats patients and her clients and the way that she approaches her work. So I think you're really going to get a lot out of this conversation.

Speaker 1: 1:52

Another thing that she does really well in this talk is to speak about the mind-body connection and what that means. Your mind is talking to your body, your body is talking to your mind. She brings some nuance to that conversation that, through her medical lens, I think is really supportive to help us really understand what is happening here within our nervous system, within our body, with these thoughts and beliefs that we have, and I know that so many of you, especially if you've been with this podcast for a while, you've been thinking about these things. So adding a little bit of nuance to it today is Dr Cindy Tsai. Welcome to the podcast, Dr Cindy Hi.

Speaker 2: 2:29

Thanks for having me. It's good to be here.

Speaker 1: 2:32

Yeah, so thrilled to have you and your expertise on the podcast to come and share all of the things that you've learned on your journey. So most of the people listening to this podcast, we're interested in holistic approaches. We've got that vision for ourselves or we've started to see, but we don't always know how. How do I live my best life? How do I live well? How do I achieve the things that I want to achieve and feel good and feel great and get to 90, 100 years old? I want to live this really long, amazing, spectacular life. That's us and I'm curious is that you too?

Speaker 2: 3:13

Absolutely, I would say. Ever since I was young, I was very health conscious and I grew up with medicine. My dad was a surgeon, so I really got to see a lot of healthcare and what sick looked like and what it meant, and so it really solidified my passions and interest in healthcare and wellbeing and so I was set on becoming a physician from a young age, and that was my path, definitely.

Speaker 1: 3:53

Yeah, at what point did you take, did you have a shift in your thoughts, or did you ever have you always had more of this holistic approach? You have a Ted talk that I suggest everybody go listen to and we'll link to it in the show notes, where you talk about your, your holistic approach that you have, that you see through health. Was it always that way? Did you grow up thinking of it that way?

Speaker 2: 4:11

Yeah, that's a great question. So I grew up in Taiwan and I went to an American school, and so I'm grateful to have had exposure to different cultures, beliefs, practices, things like that. But interestingly, when I was growing up, I was actually very much focused on Western medical care and treatment and thinking that was the path and the way, even though technically in Asia there are so many other modalities, holistic practices, that can be very helpful. But that was how I grew up and I went straight through all of my medical training and I had my own story with burnout and that's what I talked about in my TEDx talk. When I woke up one day, not being able to see, and that was terrifying for me. I was already a physician, I was in residency training and I remember just feeling completely at a loss and being this medical mystery, the frustrations, the helplessness, being on the other side as a patient.

Speaker 1: 5:23

Yeah, I cannot imagine how terrifying that would be. To wake up and you're young at that point. I mean you're young now.

Speaker 2: 5:31

I was still in my 20s, yeah, and so it was just like the whole room was dark, blurry, like something was covering my eyes. I remember going to see the doctors and them not having any answers for me, because my labs looked fine, but I wasn't fine, right. My prescription increased threefold overnight, and so for me, it really got me thinking about what does health actually mean and look like. I was always, from my perspective, taking care of myself, being health conscious, not eating terribly and had decent lifestyle habits. Yet this still happened, and after a while, other symptoms came up and I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition impacting my eyes that could have led to full blindness, and so for me, at that point, I had to pause and recognize well, in terms of actual like, what I actually, in the moment, did. The actions was, of course, I started on treatment, like the serious medication steroids, immunosuppressants and all of that, but I also paused to really reflect and think about what was the cause of all of this, and with autoimmune conditions, we know that it's because there's significant inflammation in your body, and a big part of that equation for me, in terms of the inflammation, was stress. You know, a lot of chronic stress had built up and really resulted in this ongoing inflammation that led to the unfolding of this health crisis for me, and so I really had to pause and think about okay, well, what is going on?

Speaker 2: 7:20

I mean, at the time I was in residency training.

Speaker 2: 7:22

I was working nights and then, during the daytime, instead of sleeping and resting being this overachiever that I am I would be raising my hand, volunteering, doing research, doing all the things, drinking caffeine to stay awake right, so I could get things done but then, at night, be so wired that I wouldn't be able to rest and sleep, and because I would just have this busy mind, keep thinking about all the things I didn't do, I should do, I need to do, and all of that.

Speaker 2: 7:48

And so, of course, all of that caught up with me when I got sick and I was really, really motivated and determined to heal, because I didn't want to have to be on medications for the rest of my life if I could help it. And that's what really drew me to holistic practices from integrative medicine, functional medicine, really looking at the root cause of things, looking at the whole picture, I found and embraced mindfulness, coaching, energy healing, a lot of these other mind-body modalities coaching, energy healing, a lot of these other mind-body modalities, complementary alternative treatments, techniques and thankfully, with everything together, I was able to heal my eyes.

Speaker 1: 8:34

That's amazing. I was going to say you can see me today, right, we can see each other, so obviously it's something.

Speaker 2: 8:40

I was able to get off all the medications, and so, for me, I think in that experience, it really helped me see the importance of taking a holistic approach to wellbeing and that it's not just your body, it's not just your mind. It's your mind, your body, your spirit. It's looking at the whole picture and really, as I titled my TEDx talk, body Intelligence it's really about recognizing that our body has its own wisdom and it talks to us, but we just need to pay attention to the messages. And so, for me, I think that experience definitely helped me see the importance of taking a holistic approach and since then, really embraced it, gotten so many more trainings and certifications, and am really grateful and honored to be able to help people in this way.

Speaker 1: 9:31

Yeah, it's so beautiful. So this has been in many ways, and I think a lot of people listening are probably the same, because they've come to this podcast for very similar reasons. I grew up an achiever, achiever, achiever, achiever, constant stress mode, constant. I was detached completely from my body, not listening to any of the cues of my body, ended up having thyroid issues, burned out from my job, went back to another job, found myself in that same place, ended up having gut problems this time. So it's like a lot of us a lot of us end up in this spot where we have this recognition and kind of this like aha, moment of like I cannot continue like this and it's so hard.

Speaker 1: 10:22

Though You're in medical school, You've invested so much into what you have done. How did you handle in that moment? First of all, I'm so glad that you have healed and that you have done this for yourself and you're able to turn around and support other people with this. That's why you're here today. But in that moment, in that moment where you're like, okay, something has to give, what did you do? How did you end up moving yourself through that space?

Speaker 2: 10:47

That's interesting because it's been so many years. So I think a lot of times a lot of the details are definitely blurred out right. So much easier in hindsight to be like oh yeah, it was fine, it was challenging and you kind of forget and kind of forget. I think, that a couple of things that really helped. I remember when I was in medical school I had come across integrative medicine and so it was kind of always in the back of my mind. I was intrigued and interested, but I don't think I was necessarily as committed until I was in crisis and I was like okay, I really need to take this seriously and give it a shot, right.

Speaker 1: 11:29

You were called to your calling.

Speaker 2: 11:31

Yeah, right, you're kind of forced or you're like you know this is the time. And then I think a couple other things. Just, you know it was fortuitous and that it just aligned and worked out the residency program that I was at in San Francisco. They had their own integrative medicine clinic and center, and so really having access to that was definitely a gift. And being able to have practitioners to have my own, assemble my own team, that's something I like to talk a lot about and really helping letting people know the importance of that right, really assembling a team that works for you, right, whether it's not just one doctor, it's not just one therapist, it's, you know, so many other people Like I have so many healers and practitioners who I see on a regular basis not because I'm unwell, no-transcript, and we may not necessarily value a lot of the things that help with maintenance and care.

Speaker 1: 13:00

Yeah, wellness equals success in our society. If you're well, you're successful.

Speaker 2: 13:05

Yeah, wellness equals success in our society. If you're well, you're successful. So I think it's really, you know, those are kind of some of the pieces and, of course, having friends, family, people around you who do care, I think all of those things, all the factors definitely helped for sure.

Speaker 1: 13:21

Yeah, that's so powerful, what you shared about that switch from having people who get you well to having that whole team that keeps you well. And what do you suggest to people in terms of exploration and experimenting with these things Somebody who maybe hasn't tried some of the things that you've tried and what are your go-tos?

Speaker 2: 13:43

Yeah, absolutely so. There's so many things out there and I think that's just something to keep in mind that you'll probably be able to find anything and anyone out there on the internet. This is just the reality. I think I always encourage people to be open to exploring but also honoring how you actually feel, because we all have our intuition and our gut and it's very helpful. It keeps us safe, it protects us and it also guides us. And I think sometimes, you know, for example, for people who feel like you know they don't necessarily they're not as in tune with that A lot of times I just give the example maybe you meet somebody new and you just immediately know you're like, oh, I don't really want to see them again, right, you're just like uncomfortable, whatever, whereas you meet someone else for the first time and you're just like clicks immediately.

Speaker 2: 14:47

You could talk to them for hours, you know, and so that those are the things that I really share and encourage people to honor. And it starts with those little pieces right, you may not be able to verbalize it and whatever, but I would say you know, that's an important piece of listening to your body that can be helpful, and I think that, depending on the person's beliefs, values, upbringing, expectations, their current situation, circumstances. There are so many different options, right? A lot of times some of these complementary alternative modalities can be also on the pricier side. It's self-pay, it's out of pocket. But I would say that it doesn't necessarily have to be so extreme where you go from nothing to a team of 10, right. It's like let's do the baby steps, let's start with one thing. And also, I think when you have one thing, you're better able to assess if it works for you. Right, if you put in too many things in the mix, if you're doing breath work, if you're doing Reiki, if you're doing sound healing, if you're doing all this acupuncture and like all at once and you have never done any of it, it can be overwhelming, even though it could also be very therapeutic.

Speaker 2: 16:13

But I also find that you know, the whole point is to really figure out what works for you, and I always like to say that everyone, every body, is different. So the things you need are different and we just need to honor that. And so I think different. So the things you need are different and we just need to honor that. And so I think you know, especially if you're new starting out, I would just start with paying attention to the things, maybe that really catch your attention. Maybe you're seeing a lot of things about breath work and you're like, what is this? Maybe I'll look into this and then you know, try out a class, try it out. You know, talk to people who have been doing it Right, and I think that there are ways to really ease yourself into it. And I do think that, of course, the people you meet, all of your experiences that all contributes to if it works well for you or not, and so I think being intentional about that process is helpful too.

Speaker 1: 17:06

Yeah, yeah, it sounds like you're saying listen to your body and begin to trust yourself, which is a huge part of the journey for a lot of us who never learned how to do that and have always looked to people to tell us what to do for ourselves. Some of your interactions with people what is your approach in terms of seeing other people as the health expert, and how do you help people to become their best health advocate?

Speaker 2: 17:41

Yeah, for sure, and I can share a lot of this because I went through it myself. Right, it's not like I knew from a young age how to speak up for myself and what works and what doesn't work for me, and so I always like to put that out there because I think we're all on this journey of life to learn, to grow, to experience, and we each have our own lessons to learn, own lessons to learn. And I think when I think about patients and clients and this whole experience, I think a big part is being able to feel safe to express yourself. And I know that, especially sometimes women, when you go into healthcare settings, sometimes maybe you don't feel as supported, as seen, as heard, and that can be really challenging. And I think, for sure, there are systemic issues and biases and all of that. But I think it's starting with the little steps. It's not just the practitioner, you see, it's also what can you do to make sure you're as prepared, you're as educated, you're as aware of what's actually going on, so that when you go to a visit, when you go to an appointment, you know what questions to ask, go to an appointment, you know what questions to ask, you know, oh, these are the potential side effects you know, like, just so you have a more informed and educated discussion, and that brings a lot of empowerment, for sure, right?

Speaker 2: 19:26

I think the problem is a lot of times we may not have the education like the awareness of, you know, the information that's probably a better word about. You know, like, whatever is going on, and then it can be very scary, right to be in this place of uncertainty. And then a lot of times, I think we feel stuck because we're like, oh my gosh, my gosh, I don't have answers, this is a problem, I'm stuck. And so I always encourage people to be proactive about your health and well-being and I think sometimes, yes, this takes commitment, this takes work, but it's so worth it, it right If the people around you have never tried something, if everybody around you, if maybe in your family you've had many family members who have had cancer, and so in your mind there's this bias and there's this concern that you're like, oh my gosh, I'm next, right, I'm going to get cancer. And if all you do is talk to other family members who see the same environment, I mean it makes sense why you're always thinking about cancer, right? Whereas if you're able to jump out of that right and be open to other communities and people and recognizing like, oh, just because you, you know other people have cancer, doesn't mean you have to have cancer, right?

Speaker 2: 20:49

There's so much more science and data about the importance of our lifestyle, our environment. That's what the study of epigenetics is about, where it's basically how your genes are, not the end-all, be-all right. Just because you have a gene it may increase your likelihood, but depending on how you're actually living and taking care of yourself, that actually impacts whether or not the gene gets activated and whether or not things happen and unfold. So I just I think it's I would say it really encouraged people to take a more active, proactive approach and recognizing that they do have power, they do have choice, and it might feel foreign in the beginning and it's. It's just like learning something new, right? When you're learning a new language and you don't go from like not speaking French to suddenly being fluent, right, you make mistakes, you don't get the accent, right, you mess up, you're embarrassed, like that's part of the process, and so I just encourage people to be open to that.

Speaker 1: 21:53

What you shared about epigenetics. We're going to come back to that in just a second. I myself have fallen into the bucket, as many people have, of kind of blaming the doctor for things you know well. They didn't tell me this or they didn't tell me that, and that might not be every listener, but I know from my own experience that that's something that I've fallen into. So this idea of being proactive and asking questions, that appeals to me because I can see how, being more prepared and being more empowered in my conversations with my medical practitioners or holistic practitioners or whoever it is how do we know the right questions to ask? Or do you have a couple of questions that you think when a client comes in or a patient comes in, I love when they ask this question, or what are some of the questions you would recommend people ask?

Speaker 2: 22:49

There probably are questions that I feel like depending on what's going on it can be variable.

Speaker 2: 22:57

I think what comes to mind is, I know one question that I ask patients and clients that I find helpful for both parties is what are you most worried about?

Speaker 2: 23:11

And I think when the patient and client is able to actually pause and ask yourself that and sit with your answer, I think that could be really empowering.

Speaker 2: 23:26

A lot of times we're not even aware of this fear, right, but it's just in the back of our heads, it's in our subconscious and I find that it can be really, really heavy just weighing on us and we might just talk of surface answers when the reality is what we're really worried about is death.

Speaker 2: 23:50

It's like losing, you know, not being able to see your kids grow up, it's all of these things. And I think that, even though it can be really painful and challenging and scary to actually see what your answer is in your deepest fears, it's also tremendously empowering because you actually, in that moment of awareness, you're able to consciously choose and to see is this something that A makes logical sense? Right, because a lot of times they're based in survival instincts. They're not necessarily even. You know, the likelihood is very, very, very, very low, right, and it's almost like the moment you see it, you're like you're shining this light on this and you're like, oh okay, maybe it's not that bad right. So I think there's just a lot of power in awareness of looking at your deepest fears and worries and concerns.

Speaker 1: 24:55

That's such a great question.

Speaker 2: 24:57

Being able to bring that up to a practitioner and having a conversation around that, I think, is oftentimes very therapeutic and healing in and of itself.

Speaker 1: 25:07

Yeah, that could open the doors to so much. I can imagine sitting down with my practitioner and saying you know, the thing that I'm most worried about is and having that conversation. So I suggest that to everyone, not only because it can help you see that you might have some ridiculous worry and actually voicing it out loud, and naming something out loud that you're like wait a second, why am I so worried about this? That could lead you down a very healing rabbit hole. It also could open the door to a very honest conversation. Thank you for that. That's a really powerful question. I heard you say something in one of your talks or somewhere along the way. You use this phrase that people limit themselves by disease, and I heard you mention epigenetics. Could you share a little bit about what you mean by that concept that we could be limiting ourselves by disease?

Speaker 2: 25:57

Yeah, thank you for bringing that up. So for me as a physician, I was practicing as a primary care physician for years and so I see a lot of patients who range from healthy to very sick, and I think a lot of times when we get a diagnosis, depending on the person, but a lot of times there tends to be an attachment to this diagnosis and it becomes a part of your identity, especially when it's a chronic disease. And the reason I say it can be limiting is because I do think that lifestyle can play a huge role in your overall well-being and a lot of the chronic diseases that we have today are very much lifestyle related. And so I think a lot of times when we give a diagnosis, like high blood pressure, like diabetes, and people just take it and integrate it into their identity and feel like, okay, this is the reality for the rest of my life.

Speaker 1: 27:09

Like you could have done with your eyes. I have this chronic eye condition.

Speaker 2: 27:12

Yeah, yeah, and it's like you know, I'm just going to be on these blood pressure pills, I'm just going to be on insulin, Like that's just like the reality, like whatever it is. Of course, I'm not saying you don't take medication, right, but I'm just saying that there's this whole other opportunity where you can take care of yourself, where you can be proactive, where you can. You know, for example, for people who have high blood pressure a lot of times, just by changing your diet and lifestyle, losing weight right, cutting out salt, you know, all those things make a huge difference and lower your blood pressure by many points, and then you wouldn't even have to be on medication. And so I think it's just important for people to be aware of how they are maybe associating with some of the diagnoses that they're receiving and just to see, are they again?

Speaker 2: 28:02

I think it's just comes back to a place of are you in an empowered place where you're feeling like, okay, this is where I'm at right now. Am I able to change it and affect how this trajectory goes? If so, what are the steps? And let me take the steps and make that happen, right, or am I going to just like go down another path? And so I think it's, of course, dependent on the person and their circumstances and situations, and I know that we are always trying our best with what we can at that point in time reality and experience. I encourage them to be open to this idea too, that you know, hey, maybe this diabetes isn't necessarily something that's permanent, especially if you're very early on, very lifestyle driven and all of that.

Speaker 1: 29:04

Where does can you connect the dots for us from all of this that you're sharing in terms of we can make empowered choices for ourselves, to the idea of the mind-body connection and the power that that holds. Can you connect the dots for us? What does that mean when it comes to integrative health?

Speaker 2: 29:31

health? Yeah for sure. So the mind and the body are very much connected, even though I think a lot of times we may forget that and we may only maybe think about taking care of our bodies or taking care of our minds. And when I think about the idea of healing and well-being, I think absolutely there are things that you can do physically that are important, whether it's eating right, moving your body, getting enough rest, things like that.

Speaker 2: 29:54

But one thing I always like to say is that our mind, our brains, are constantly receiving input from everything from our environment. All of our senses are taking things in right at all times. All of our senses are taking things in right at all times and it's filtering. The brain is filtering to see if there's any potential signs of danger, right, because if there's potential danger, then it's going to need to activate the sympathetic fight or flight system it's going to, which basically activates various systems, body organs in organs in our body, to help prepare us, right, like, our heart rate goes up, our hands get sweaty, our breath gets shallow, all the things, and then we experience these sensations in our body. So that's kind of that connection between the mind and the body.

Speaker 2: 30:42

Now the thing that sometimes people don't realize is that, yes, the mind is interpreting stimuli, input from our environment and all of that, but input can also be our thoughts and our beliefs and our imagination, because that's still ongoing in our brains and so, a lot of times, depending on what you're believing, the words, the stories you're telling yourself, you know the belief habits, like a lot of the things that we've held on to over the years, right, if you have the belief that, okay, cancer runs in my family, everyone gets cancer that's essentially always running in your head and that can be an ongoing stressor, right, and lead to chronic stress and sympathetic activation which leads to the inflammation which can really lead to a lot of these chronic diseases and illnesses.

Speaker 2: 31:42

Whereas somebody who has another belief of like I'm always healthy, you know, or like I take care of myself, right, like I know how to take care of myself and all the things I feel good, like beliefs and thoughts really do matter, and then that's, you know, with those sets of beliefs you're, you can imagine you're going to be less stressed out, you're gonna be more relaxed, right, and you're gonna take better care of yourself, your body's not going to be as activated and all these things. So I highlight that because, yes, there's the environmental and kind of circumstantial components, but there is still this other component that's very internal and personalized with our thoughts or beliefs and programming that can be really important and make a difference in our overall health and well-being.

Speaker 1: 32:26

Yeah, linking that parasympathetic and the sympathetic to the thoughts that you have and the beliefs that you have. That is something that has not been talked about enough in this entire world and it's becoming, it's starting to be talked about by people like you. Thank you for coming on this podcast and talking about it because it matters it physically, physiologically, scientifically in your body. What you're saying here is that that matters.

Speaker 2: 32:51

The thoughts actually matter, that you're thinking to your physical body very simplistic view that it's like, okay, I do this and then this hormone is going to increase and this and this. And yes, there are parts of that, but I also think that there are so many factors that impact this whole process and so, as best as you can, right Different habits, practices that can help you with relaxation, with being present, all those things basically things to help you get out of that sympathetic activation I see as a huge win.

Speaker 1: 33:39

And having that team of people that you mentioned slowly beginning to build that team of support for you. I think sometimes, especially for women, there can be this belief that we need to figure out how to do it and we don't. It's like, okay, women, there can be this belief that we need to figure out how to do it and we don't. It's like, okay, I hired the one person who's got to figure this out for me and that needs to be enough, or that should be enough, because I should be able to figure this out, I should be able to do this, I should be able to control this situation because I'm capable and I'm smart. And it's like we feel like we have to do it all and we can't have multiple people, and then we feel shame because we didn't fix it.

Speaker 2: 34:13

I know, and I am so glad you brought that up, because I think a big part of my work helping clients is really working through a lot of this and bringing self-compassion to you Right.

Speaker 2: 34:28

Self-compassion to you right, and self-compassion I see as being kind to yourself and treating yourself like your own best friend. And I know, for me, as I call myself a recovering perfectionist and having type A tendencies and all of that, it's like I'm always so hard on myself, ongoing, and a lot of times I find that when I make mistakes, when things don't work out, then I go into this, the shame spiral, right, and it's like negative and it's like so unproductive, right, but then I like get stuck in it, and so for me, I know that self-compassion practicing that has really helped me so much in being able to move forward and to continue to grow and learn and to be able to really move forward, and so I think that's something that I wish we all women, everyone but women especially could really embrace. And it's interesting I see that, as I've really embraced, that my compassion for others has also increased significantly, and so it's really a win for everyone.

Speaker 1: 35:36

Yeah, just like with anything, the more you experience it yourself, the more you can see and hold it and create it for other people in the world. I almost come out of the chair when you talk about compassion, because it's my belief that compassion will heal the world. And I almost come out of the chair when you talk about compassion, because it's my belief that compassion will heal the world, and I had none for myself until not so long ago. It's like compassion. What does that word mean? I don For anybody who is an achiever, a pleaser, anybody who's been down the path that you've been down, anything that's like the clients that you work with, anything that you want people to know.

Speaker 2: 36:21

Yeah, I think a few things come up.

Speaker 2: 36:23

I think, first off, definitely reiterating the self-compassion piece, to be kind to yourself.

Speaker 2: 36:31

I think that's really important. And then I think the other thing that comes up is really giving yourself permission, and by that I mean, a lot of times, I think, we have certain idea of how we want our lives to look maybe expectations and beliefs and when our reality doesn't match up to that, that can also cause tremendous stress and shame and all of those emotions. And so I would really encourage people to give yourself permission to be you and to honor where you're at, and knowing that there's no one right way, there's no one perfect way. There's just the way you make it right, there's only your way, and I think that when and this takes courage it really does. But when you're able to do that, what happens is you actually give others permission to be themselves, and I think that's a really beautiful effect that you know. For if all of us, if we were all able to be living authentically, to be speaking up for ourselves, to really being able to communicate, share our needs, desires and all of that, I think we would be in a much better place.

Speaker 1: 37:57

Permission to untether. You just got a prescription from Dr Cindy to untether, to be yourself and give other people permission to be themselves as well, which that's kind of ironic, that I'm like she just wrote you a prescription, but actually it's a prescription to give yourself permission.

Speaker 2: 38:14

Yes, I was going to say, and I think part of it is also not. I think a lot of times we get caught up in the busyness of life and everything just feels so heavy and serious, and so I really encourage people to still look for the fun, to bring in some lightness and joy into your life every day. Right, it doesn't have to be some crazy thing, but like really still be in touch with those aspects and recognize that you know, yes, there's life, but like don't forget to have fun and appreciate and and be grateful for yourself along the way.

Speaker 1: 38:55

Great reminder. We think of health is so serious, so it's wonderful to hear that from you, which takes us to the final question. I asked everybody who comes on this podcast, dr Cindy, where do you see the magic in the world?

Speaker 2: 39:06

I think for me, what's coming up is nature and really appreciating the beauty in nature and how it has its imperfections, yet it's also perfect. Yet it's also perfect, and I think there's so much magic in that and possibility that I think sometimes we miss when we're not being present, when we're not paying attention. So I would say, yeah, nature brings magic for me.

Speaker 1: 39:42

Absolutely gorgeous If you've stood and looked at any tree or flower or just a single little sprig. The other day I was on a hike and I was looking. I paused For some reason. I paused and looked at this little piece of pine and I noticed the pattern was so intricate and so beautiful, but there were so many imperfections that you don't notice until you really get up close. And so what you're saying just that felt like such an awesome reflection of what I was witnessing in nature. It's so perfect and yet it's so imperfect, and that's what makes it perfect.

Speaker 2: 40:15

I love it.

Speaker 1: 40:17

Thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing with us. Where can people connect with you, work with you, find you?

Speaker 2: 40:23

Absolutely so. I'm active on social media, primarily on LinkedIn and Instagram. My handle is at CindySaiMD C-I-N-D-Y-T-S-A-I-M-D, and you're also welcome to visit my website, cindysaimdcom for the latest offerings, services and details. And, of course, I think we mentioned my TEDx talk. Feel free to check that out. And then I also have a bestselling book available on Amazon that's called so Much Better, with life-changing strategies to develop calm, confidence and curiosity to become your own inspiring success story.

Speaker 1: 40:57

Thank, you Fabulous. Everything is in the show notes. If you want to connect with her, go and click on that. Check out the book and everything that you've got to offer. Thanks for coming on.

Speaker 2: 41:06

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 41:09

I know you enjoyed that episode with Dr Cindy and I hope you had some really strong takeaways for yourself. One of the things that she talked about that really connected with me is that our body has so much wisdom and we can assemble a team of people who can support us. We don't have to do this alone or feel shame when something isn't working, and also come to your appointments, speak to your doctors, speak to your practitioners with empowered questions. Really consider what is it that I need to know? What am I curious about? What am I worried about the question that she offered there in the middle of our conversation? So consider these things for yourself and then join me on Thursday where I'm going to pull out a little nugget little thread from this episode and go in a little deeper for Thursday's thread episode, where we will speak a little deeper about one little thing. I pull out of this, so I'll see you there.

Speaker 1: 42:10

If you enjoyed something out of this conversation, I encourage you to share it with a friend. Maybe it made you think a little bit, maybe made you think just even a little bit differently about your health. You can also take a screenshot of it. Share it on social media. Tag me Untethered. Jen, you can tag Cindy. Her links are in the show notes. She is CindySciMD on social media. Tag us, we will reshare your post if you do. Thanks again for listening. You just keep shining your magical unicorn light out there for all to see. I'll see you next time. Bye.