Some conversations feel like a deep exhale. This one with psychologist and mindfulness instructor Monika Varela goes straight to the heart of calm: how to hold yourself when life is loud, messy, or frightening, and how small, reliable practices can restore choice when everything else feels out of your hands.
Monika shares her journey from corporate schedules and burnout to one-to-one therapeutic work and hospital-based mindfulness for oncology patients and carers. We unpack what “holding space” actually means—preparing yourself before sessions, meeting people without judgement, using body-based awareness and breath to let hard feelings exist long enough to soften. She explains why trust is built, not rushed, and how a safe container allows clients to say the things they have never voiced. Along the way we talk candidly about stigma, the myth that help is only for crisis, and the courage required to ask for support.
Cancer is a recurring thread, approached with compassion. We explore acceptance as a physical release, the power of naming the reality, and the harm of shame-heavy wellness messages that imply illness is a personal failure. For patients who cannot control much, even choosing to colour or watch the sun move across a window can restore dignity. Monika’s mantra is simple and hard-won: focus on what you can control today: breath, attention, boundaries, tiny rituals that hold under stress. One grounding breath won’t fix a diagnosis or a tantrum, but daily practice builds the capacity to choose your response when it matters.
We also connect mindfulness with organisation, showing how light structure reduces reactivity so you can respond with intention. Expect practical tools: micro-pauses, body scans, compassionate self-talk, and respectful ways to support loved ones who cope differently. If you’re ready to trade overwhelm for steadier habits and kinder inner dialogue, this conversation will meet you where you are.
Find Monika on Instagram @yourjoyfulbeing
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Remember, organising is a tool to live the purposeful life beyond it.
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