Have ever felt like you had to hide parts of yourself to belong, especially in medicine?

Honoring your truth, even in a high-intensity field like neurosurgery, can lead to deep healing, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose.

An intimate and courageous conversation with Dr. Jenny Kang, a neurosurgeon who shares her inspiring story of transformation—one that challenges traditional definitions of success and fulfillment in medicine, particularly for women in surgery.

Jenny and I first connected when she came to a Pause & Presence retreat over a year ago. Since then, she has reconnected with herself, her family, and created a life she loves.

Her story is one of coming home to yourself and standing tall once you get there, even if you work in operating rooms built for much taller people.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• You don’t have to do it the way you were told or even the way you once believed you should. There are many ways to practice medicine with meaning.

• When women physicians live aligned lives, they bring healing into medicine and themselves. Fulfillment in your career and personal life is not only possible, it’s necessary.

• Shame often arises when you do things differently in medicine. It doesn't mean you have done something wrong.

• Creating a life that works for you takes courage, creativity, and compassion—and it’s always worth it.

• When you let go of the belief that you don’t belong and instead decide that you do, everything begins to shift.
  
  

Reflection Questions:

• Where in your life are you living by someone else's mold or definition of success?

• What would change if you decided you belonged?

• What parts of your life have you labeled “indulgent” that might actually be essential for your healing and wholeness?

If you're ready to design a fulfilling life that fits who you are, I invite you to explore coaching with me at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. Or join me on a retreat like Jenny did, www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.

If you're seeking a speaker or workshop leader for your organization or event, visit www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking.

To bring Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang to your audience, visit www.awakenbreath.org.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

A heartfelt conversation with an ER physician, poet and author.

From a Studio in Oakland, California: 108 Notes on Existence, is a must-read - whether you’re an ER physician, a young adult navigating the uncertainty of life, or someone simply seeking meaning and alignment.

I discovered this book serendipitously a few weeks ago.

Enia and I connected via her publicist, who reached out asking if I was interested in receiving a copy of the book. Because the title had the word Oakland in it, near where I grew up, her email caught my eye.

Then I saw that an emergency room doctor had written it. So I said yes.

Once the real book arrived in my real mailbox, it was clear that we were meant to connect.

Every passage resonated deeply.

The book, released in May 2025, is a powerful integration of poetry, soul, and the lived experience of a physician waking up to a life more deeply felt.

It is a beautiful and honest invitation to reconnect with ourselves, especially when we've been trained to disconnect.

Pearls of Wisdom from our conversation:

• Your soul knows when you’re out of alignment. Dr. Oaks ( a pseudonym) shares how taking a pause—not knowing what came next, was what brought her back to life. We explore the courage it takes to step away from what’s expected to reconnect with what’s real.

• Disillusionment is a pathway, not a failure. We talk about how medicine teaches us to disconnect, but the cost is profound. Dr. Oaks’ writing gives voice to the silent grief and subtle truths that live within many of us.

• You don’t need permission to live a beautiful life. Through her reflections and poetic insights, Dr. Oaks reminds us that we are not here to endure life—we are here to feel it, shape it, and choose it.
  
  

Reflection Questions:

• What might you discover if you allowed yourself to pause, even for a moment?

• How might your life shift if you believed you were already whole?

• What would it feel like to choose a path because it feels right, not just because you can?
  
  

I encourage you to get yourself a copy of From a Studio in Oakland, California: 108 Notes on Existence. It's a book to keep close by, to fold the corners of, and return to again and again.

Please share the book, and this podcast conversation, with others.

AND please join Enia and me for a book club on July 13th @ 5 pm Pacific on Zoom.

More info coming soon.

If you're feeling the pull to reconnect with yourself, explore what’s next, or live more fully, join me for a coaching journey at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. Evem better, join me in person and come to a retreat where we rediscover alignment, community, and joy: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.

If you’d like to bring a conversation like this to your team, institution, or conference, reach out for speaking opportunities at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking.

Connect with Enia Oaks through her website at www.eniaoaks.com.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

This episode is an invitation to explore travel through a different lens—a mindful one.

Whether you're traveling for work, visiting family, or taking a long-awaited vacation, we hope that this conversation helps you bring more intention, presence, and ease.

We offer gentle, grounded tips to help you redefine what success looks like when you travel. It isn't about doing the most or chasing the perfect itinerary. It's about traveling in a way that honors your energy, desires, and well-being.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Setting a clear intention—before and during travel—transforms the experience from obligation or exhaustion to meaning and presence.

• Let go of old stories: travel doesn’t need to be long, far, busy, or impressive to be meaningful. Less can be more—and sometimes more is more—when it’s chosen with intention.

• Be kind to yourself as you plan and move through travel. That might mean fewer obligations, more flexibility, and yes, even booking that easier flight or skipping a hike to rest.

• Leave room to breathe—literally and figuratively. White space in your itinerary allows for awe, spontaneity, and true connection.

• Choose presence over pressure. Redefine what a “successful” trip looks like, not by what you see or do, but by how you feel during and after.
  
  

Reflection Questions:

• What’s your intention for your next trip? What do you hope to feel, experience, or remember?

• What would shift if you permitted yourself to travel with more ease?

• How might your energy, relationships, and memories change if you traveled from presence, not pressure?

• What would it feel like to create space for rest, awe, or mindful moments while you're away?
  
  

At the end of the episode, you’ll hear a touching story of a simple walk to pick up pizza that became a treasured moment—a beautiful reminder that presence is what makes memories magic.

If this conversation resonated with you, and you’re longing to move through life, work, or travel with more intention, consider reaching out to Jessie for coaching. Together, we can explore your path forward both at home and while traveling, with more clarity and ease.

If your team, department, or institution is looking to bring more mindfulness and wellbeing into how they live, work, and lead, reach out to Jessie for a talk and workshop. Connect with Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang and her beautiful work at www.awakenbreath.org.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.