June 26, 2025 • 21 mins
🔗 Mentioned on this Episode: Show Notes 👈
We’ve all been told to “listen to your body” — but what does that actually mean when you’re leading a company, juggling responsibilities, and navigating the invisible pressure to keep proving yourself?
In this episode, I’m joined by Monica Le Baron, MBA — bestselling author, sleep expert, and creator of the Sleep Simplified method. After burning out in corporate and healing herself from insomnia, chronic pain, and anxiety, Monica has helped hundreds of ambitious women reclaim their energy and get better sleep in 30 days or less. Her work has been featured in Spirituality & Health, Telemundo, Healthy Woman, and Insight Timer, and her voice is a grounded reminder that rest is not a reward — it’s a requirement.
We talk about unhooking from the “I’m only valuable when I’m productive” loop, how to repattern your nervous system (without a 2-hour morning routine), and why your body will always tell you the truth — especially if you’re willing to listen outside of your inbox. If you’ve been feeling the pull to do business differently, this conversation is your signal to start where you are… and let your body lead the way.
Follow Monica:
- Buy her book: Sleep Simplified
- Website: https://monicalebaron.com/
- Instagram: @monica.le.baron
Text us! What landed for you from this episode?
🎁 Subscribe & Get the Seasons Success Method & Meditation
🎧 Listen, Subscribe & Rate this podcast
📲 Follow me for more insights: Instagram | LinkedIn
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sheila (00:01):
Every time I override my body's truth to meet someone
else's agenda.
It costs me, and it costs youtoo, in energy, clarity and
sometimes even revenue.
In today's conversation, I'mjoined by bestselling author
Monica LeBaron to explore howhigh performing women can
repattern their relationshipwith rest and start letting
(00:22):
their body lead their business,not the pressure to prove
themselves.
If you've ever second guessedyour own rhythm, this is your
permission slip to trust what'salready inside of you.
Let's go there, so good to belive with you.
Today I have a guest and I'mexcited because we're going to
(00:44):
be talking about sleep.
Hi, monica, she's here.
I'm going to introduce herfirst.
We are going to talk aboutsleep.
We're going to talk about thebody, and truly I want to just
read to you the intro I haveprepared for you, because it's
so powerful.
How we show up in our life andhow we show up every single day
impacts every area of ourbusiness too.
(01:04):
Monica is someone that I reallydeeply respect, not just because
she wrote a bestselling book,but because she teaches women
how to get better sleep in 30days, and also because she
embodies the work.
She's a sleep queen, she is asleep expert, and I want you to
welcome Monica LeBaron, and so,as she's joining, joining.
(01:25):
I will say that the whole ideahere is that every time that we
override our body's truth, hi,monica, we pay in other ways,
and that's what thisconversation is going to be
about today.
So good to see you.
It's been a while, oh, and Ilove the earrings.
Show them to me, thank you somuch oh, and I love the earrings
(01:46):
.
Monica (01:46):
Show them to me luckily made, got them at the farmer's
market and I just love it.
But I don't remember the thename of the person.
So if you're watching thisvideo and you made him text me.
Sheila (01:58):
Well, why don't we share with everyone which farmer's
market is your local?
Monica (02:02):
oh, uh, I'm in las cruces new mexico right now yeah
, so there you go.
Sheila (02:08):
Yes, we want to go to mexico to check out the farmer's
market.
Monica (02:10):
That's what we want to do mexico, but we'll go to
mexico.
Sheila (02:16):
oh, my goodness.
I am so thrilled because wehave spoken a number of times
about sleep, about the power ofwhen we give our body what it
needs, it responds in beautifulways.
But when we ignore it or whenwe are in our head too much, or
when we're focused on theconditioning of having goals
that are somebody else's,perhaps, or society's, that
(02:39):
disconnect impacts us in so manyways.
And I know I have a story in myhistory and, like you know,
I've been going through onemyself personally too a story in
my history and like you know,I've been going through one
myself personally too, over theyears of just like the
connection to the body and thenthe disconnection, the
connection and then thedisconnection.
It's like a dance, and I knowyou have one too and you've
shared before on the podcast.
And today what I really want totalk about is using your body as
(03:01):
a compass, and I feel like inyour work, using your body as a
compass, and I feel like in yourwork, you, you can't get away
from it because sleep isinherently it's.
It's your body.
Yes, it's connected to yourmind, but, like your body and
your mind work at differentrhythms.
So I would love to hear youknow, in terms of teaching
through nervous systemregulation, yoga and breath,
(03:23):
this, this question, is going tobe about business.
It's going to be a bit of adeparture from where we've gone
before.
What is the moment in yourbusiness where your body gave
you the truth before your mindcaught up?
And then what did you do aboutit?
Monica (03:37):
I guess this is an everyday battle, but I can first
all thank you for having me.
It's so lovely to be with youand your presence and you know
everybody who's watching.
Thank you for being here.
And I know that, like one ofthis is not specifically with my
business, but it's when mybusiness started and I was
(04:02):
living in Beijing and I wasworking full time and I was
doing photography and I wasdoing exhibitions and I wanted
to meet everybody and be aroundpeople and do everything.
I have a vibrant life.
I was married.
I was, you know, justconquering the world and it was
(04:22):
a stage that things startedgoing downward and everything
was happening with me.
So I was visiting the doctor,like every week, different
doctor, different specialist andI didn't know what was going on
.
And it was just like this.
I remember, like me saying,like I'm sick of going to a
(04:46):
doctor, like I'm not going to goanymore, I don't care what's
wrong with me, I'm not going togo anymore.
And one of those things was thatI was unhappy with my life.
Like you said, I was doing andliving somebody else's dream,
and that unhappiness, like I wastrying to fight it.
(05:06):
You know, I, I left my marriageand I was fighting not to leave
it.
I was fighting to do the thingsand go to therapy and do the
things and be more patient anddo more things for trying to
save this relationship Right.
And like I think six months, ayear later, I got, I left my
(05:33):
marriage.
I was doing super good.
So this is like that when, whenyou ask like when did your mind
cut up?
Like my body knew it.
I used to be lactose intolerant, I wasn't able to use spices,
(05:54):
and like everything was stuck inmy stomach and now, like that's
one of my cues, I'm like wait,wait, wait.
Did I really eat something?
That my body's resenting or isthis emotional?
So now, like I've learned fromthat experience, and I go back
and it's like, oh, what am Iprocessing right now?
(06:15):
I guess, that's the biggestexample that is the hardest.
Sheila (06:19):
Yeah, it's hard and it's not.
You enter into a relationshipyou enter into like sometimes
it's a working relationship toright.
You enter into it with the bestintentions.
But everybody grows and changesand that's okay.
We have this thought in ourminds that I need to make all
the changes, perhaps.
But really any kind ofrelationship it is it's two
people and there's always somany dynamics, and but it's
(06:43):
interesting how your body reallykeeps the score of all of the
things, of all of the things.
And so in your book, sleepsimplified, which I love, and
I'm sitting on my bookshelf.
I was going to pull it out, butI don't want to leave camera
now.
It's right, it's right there.
So if you've got one next toyou, you can show it.
She's like I'm going to bringthe phone with me.
I could do that too.
(07:04):
I suppose I think there she is.
I see that beautiful teal spineof it there it is there she is.
It's a labor of love and you'vebeen just having so much fun
promoting this work and so manypeople are being benefited from
it, me being one of them, myfamily being being the rest
local to me and.
(07:25):
But you talk about quick shiftsthat yield the most highest
return and I'm just wonderingfor the women listening who
think, okay, I want to.
You know, I want to.
I want to have better sleep, Iwant to really let my body be be
able to hear what my body hasto say to me, but I'm so busy.
How do I add one more thing,right?
So what is one microrepatterning pattern or process
(07:49):
that women could start whenthey're specifically caught in
that loop of like performanceand and I know in um, I feel
like in in nervous system,healing?
It's kind of like, when youthink about the fawning kind of
thing that's often, I think,connected to performance, like,
oh, if I just do better, maybethen they'll like me, if I just
(08:10):
do better, maybe then thatpromotion will make me feel
better about myself.
Like, perform, perform.
What's a micro-patterning kindof thing they could do, do you
think?
Monica (08:29):
no-transcript only before bed.
You do it through the day,right.
So, for example, in my book Ihave breathing exercises or
meditation or mudras, sowhatever it is.
For example, I give them amudra this is Hakini Mudra, this
is one of my favorite ones youmake a little circle and then
(08:49):
you put it just in front of yoursolar plexus or just just on
your thighs and you take likethree breaths and try to inhale
and exhale and through the nose,and I just have to do it right
now right now, everybody take abreath.
Sheila (09:09):
We're breathing for those joining.
Just just take a breath.
This is your invitation to takea breath.
Monica (09:14):
Yes, and for example.
So I teach them okay, do itfirst thing when you wake up in
the morning, take three breaths.
Do it at noon before you takeyour lunch, and then do it take
five, 10 breaths before bed.
So then you're teaching yourbody what you want at the end of
(09:38):
the day.
Right?
And it's like for thosego-getters and overachievers.
I'm like, and that's too simple,do it every hour and honestly
like, just like, even if youimagine putting your hands there
by the end of the day, if youdo it for 10 times during the
(09:59):
day, you're going to feelgrounded and strong and your
body is going to recognize.
So most of the tools out thereare good, but if you don't
practice them they might notwork.
But if you don't practice themthey might not work.
So this is like a way I startedintroducing that to my clients
(10:21):
of mini little breaks during theday, like I don't have the time
.
I travel 40 minutes to get towork and then when I'm there, I
have meetings after meetings.
I'm like can you breathe whileyou're in the car?
can you don't have to put yourhands there, but can you breathe
?
Can you focus and be like evenif you're listening to music
singing loud like can you focusintentionally on your breath and
(10:45):
, for example, every time youhave a new meeting, can you just
get up and stretch and just say, can we take a breath together?
I, my therapist, told me to dothis.
If you put it out there, it'sgoing to happen easier instead
of you trying to, you know, notdo it because, oh my gosh, I
(11:06):
can't do it.
Like if you really live, havean environment that is chaotic
and toxic and whatever, go tothe bathroom, take three breaths
.
Sheila (11:15):
Right, there's always a little escape and that is like
so true for so many people.
Just, it's the patterning inour minds that I just, I just
can't do one more thing, I justdon't even think I can do it.
And something so simple as justtaking those breaths and really
being aware of them.
And and actually I find too,like you know, we can get so
(11:36):
focused, like whether we're at adesk or just working on a
project or something, and welook up and it's just like just
really taking in the atmospherearound you and appreciating it,
like wow, I perhaps maybe not inall cases, but in a lot of
cases I asked for this, I workedfor this, I dreamed for this
and this is now mine, and we getso commonplace with things.
(11:59):
But that gratitude of just okay, this was once just an idea in
my mind and now I'm here, it isRight, I love that.
And you know, we've seen I mean,you've experienced it, I've
experienced it, we've witnessedit like what happens when women
push beyond capacity, and so howdo you help them unhook from
that?
You know, maybe I'm good enoughif I just try a harder loop,
(12:21):
like without, because at thesame time we want to say, like
good for you that you have madeit this far, and like that can
feel performative too.
So how do you help people getout of that loop?
I imagine it has to do withlike body first type of
(12:41):
practices.
Monica (12:41):
But you tell me it's going to surprise you, but what
I tell clients the first thing,after setting the goal, what we
do is set a way of celebration.
I was just talking to a clienttoday and I was telling him that
you start now and you set anintention of what do you want to
(13:02):
do, but then you look for a wayto celebrating right, and that
is going to align that doing andplaying, because we're used to
doing.
And then when you have to playor take care of yourself, you're
like no, no, I don't have timefor this.
But then if you set theintention since the beginning of
this is what I want and this ishow I'm going to celebrate and
(13:23):
not actually achieving the goal,because sometimes there's
things that you can't notcontrol.
So you're going to focus on thethings that you are going to
control when you finish thosethings.
That's how you celebrate.
You go get a lollipop, you goget a massage, you go buy
yourself like flowers and onething that I was telling him
(13:44):
like it doesn't matter if youcan afford 10 lollipops, you're
just going to go buy that oneand savor it, just because you
said you will.
And entrepreneurship and lifeit's just, it gets chaotic, it's
never linear.
So you need those celebrationpoints to actually kind of
(14:05):
anchor you, to focus on yourgoal, because life gets
complicated and you need thoselittle reminders.
So that's like the first thingthat I do.
Sheila (14:16):
I love that.
I love that it's the beginning.
We don't celebrate enough.
I think we are always veryoften and maybe it's culturally,
it might be just Westernizedculture like where we are so
focused on what's next, what'snext, where we do not root into
actually celebrating what we'veachieved already.
And I think just the idea ofcelebrating an intention that
(14:37):
you've set, the fact that you'vecome to the place in your life
where you believe that you arecapable of doing this thing, and
so you're setting the intentionlike that is huge, allowing
yourself to grow and expand yeah, let's celebrate it.
I love that you do that.
It's so good.
And so I would love to know, um, right now, I see you in nature
(14:59):
a lot when you're on your, onyour socials, and you love to be
outside.
I know I do too, as much as Ican, and it just roots you right
back in.
What is your favorite thing todo outside now?
Is it hiking?
Is it swimming, like what?
What is your favorite thingright now?
Monica (15:17):
right now it's hiking.
I'm moving a lot into swimmingbecause it's 110 degrees here.
Gladly it rained yesterday andit's like in the 80s right now,
but I love going for walks inthe afternoon and I haven't done
that because it's been so hot,um.
(15:39):
So I'm trying to like get intomy schedule going swimming
because I know that's going tobe very cooling for the body
yeah, and there's somethingabout that floating.
Sheila (15:49):
I feel like and and again.
I'm not like a major swimmer byany stretch, but when I am in
water and I allow myself tofloat, it is the most beautiful
practice of trust and allowingand feeling supported, because
you're literally just floatingin the water and like you're not
(16:10):
.
You're just there, like you'renot doing anything to support
yourself.
You're being supported and Ithink so often we can go through
life and feel like we've goteverything on our shoulders and
it's like Atlas right, like oh,better not shrug, the world's
going to fall off, and we forgetactually that we are supported.
And it may not look like it inthe moment, but I mean truly,
(16:33):
like I always, I always say tomy kids like I'm not the one
making my heartbeat right now,like yes, I can do things to
have a healthy heart, I can liveand try and do all these good
things, but at the end of theday it's beating.
I don't know, it's not up to me.
So that very thing, like thatbreath that we have, that we get
to really savor because we getto breathe For those of us some
(16:56):
of us it's harder to breathethan others, like some of I have
some dear ones going throughsome breathing issues, like who
are in their older years and andit's a tough thing, right.
And so when we really can justsay, you know what, if I don't
stop and take those threebreaths throughout the day, what
am I even doing?
Like we're, let's savor it.
And if we can root into thosereally basic things, I think
(17:17):
they help us look at all theother things that feel so big,
so complex and just kind of makesense out of the world and help
us realize like it's going tobe okay, like we will figure
this out, and conversations likethis always make me feel great.
So we had to really lean intothe people that that are
thinking this way and that canhelp remind us of things like
(17:39):
this as well.
So, monica, I would love tohear, before we part, what is
exciting for you right now inthe business.
What are you doing?
What are some programs you'redoing?
Are you speaking anywhere?
Are you traveling?
Like what's happening?
Monica (17:52):
I want to know.
I'm actually staying home forthe next month Well, not this
weekend, but I have a lot ofgood things coming up.
I have my first paintingexhibition this weekend.
I'm really proud of that my mom, my sister, my aunt and a bunch
of good friends for having thattogether.
(18:13):
It's a beautiful painting groupthat I was doing when I was
living in Mexico and also, likeI started that painting class
the day after my 40th birthday,so technically the day after
launching my book, it was likego out and play.
The day after launching my bookit was like go out and play.
(18:36):
And my audio book for SleepSimplified it's actually out now
.
It's starting to upload to allthe platforms, so be patient,
but look into your favoriteplatform.
That's going to be it and Ihave what am I working on?
My next book now and a revisededition for Sleep Simplified.
So a lot of work, but I'm alsodoing kind of just giving people
(18:59):
a taste of what I do to be ableto support the community.
Sheila (19:17):
I love that so much.
Well, congratulations on all ofit.
It's so beautiful to witness,just like being able to see you
through the before you even hadthe book out in the world, like
when it was just like an ideaand a thought, and then see it
go all the way through to nowyou've got it in audio.
Oh, my goodness, okay, and weget to hear your beautiful voice
speaking it.
I love that.
That must've been fun Causethat's not a.
(19:39):
it's not a thin book Everyoneit's.
It's got stuff in it.
Okay, it's like that's it.
That's the one.
It's thick, so be sure to gograb the book wherever you buy
books, right, it's pretty mucheverywhere.
Amazon's a good place to get itas well, right?
And you know, please, if you'rewatching this, obviously here
(20:00):
on Instagram, you'll see thehandle.
So it's Monica M-O-N-I-C-A, dotL-E, dot B-A-R-O-N.
For those of you who hear thison the podcast, I will also have
a link to the show notes.
I'm so thrilled to see you here.
Thanks for reaching out again.
It's always a pleasure.
And um, any parting thoughtsbefore we go on our way well.
Monica (20:23):
Thank you so much for having me, thank you everybody
for listening, and just rememberthat you don't have to have it
all figured out.
There's people around you whowant to love you and support you
and you don't have to have itall figured out.
There's people around you whowant to love you and support you
and you don't have to have thewhole vision or the whole hour
to do something.
Start by taking three breathsand let your body and your
(20:44):
intuition guide you.
You got this.
Sheila (20:47):
Yes, you do, and I'm sending you all my love, monica.
Thank you so much for watchingand listening everybody, and we
will see you once again onanother episode of the connect
with Sheila Botelho podcast andover here on the ground.
Thank you.
Every time I override my body's truth to meet someone
else's agenda.
It costs me, and it costs youtoo, in energy, clarity and
sometimes even revenue.
In today's conversation, I'mjoined by bestselling author
Monica LeBaron to explore howhigh performing women can
repattern their relationshipwith rest and start letting
(00:22):
their body lead their business,not the pressure to prove
themselves.
If you've ever second guessedyour own rhythm, this is your
permission slip to trust what'salready inside of you.
Let's go there, so good to belive with you.
Today I have a guest and I'mexcited because we're going to
(00:44):
be talking about sleep.
Hi, monica, she's here.
I'm going to introduce herfirst.
We are going to talk aboutsleep.
We're going to talk about thebody, and truly I want to just
read to you the intro I haveprepared for you, because it's
so powerful.
How we show up in our life andhow we show up every single day
impacts every area of ourbusiness too.
(01:04):
Monica is someone that I reallydeeply respect, not just because
she wrote a bestselling book,but because she teaches women
how to get better sleep in 30days, and also because she
embodies the work.
She's a sleep queen, she is asleep expert, and I want you to
welcome Monica LeBaron, and so,as she's joining, joining.
(01:25):
I will say that the whole ideahere is that every time that we
override our body's truth, hi,monica, we pay in other ways,
and that's what thisconversation is going to be
about today.
So good to see you.
It's been a while, oh, and Ilove the earrings.
Show them to me, thank you somuch oh, and I love the earrings
(01:46):
.
Monica (01:46):
Show them to me luckily made, got them at the farmer's
market and I just love it.
But I don't remember the thename of the person.
So if you're watching thisvideo and you made him text me.
Sheila (01:58):
Well, why don't we share with everyone which farmer's
market is your local?
Monica (02:02):
oh, uh, I'm in las cruces new mexico right now yeah
, so there you go.
Sheila (02:08):
Yes, we want to go to mexico to check out the farmer's
market.
Monica (02:10):
That's what we want to do mexico, but we'll go to
mexico.
Sheila (02:16):
oh, my goodness.
I am so thrilled because wehave spoken a number of times
about sleep, about the power ofwhen we give our body what it
needs, it responds in beautifulways.
But when we ignore it or whenwe are in our head too much, or
when we're focused on theconditioning of having goals
that are somebody else's,perhaps, or society's, that
(02:39):
disconnect impacts us in so manyways.
And I know I have a story in myhistory and, like you know,
I've been going through onemyself personally too a story in
my history and like you know,I've been going through one
myself personally too, over theyears of just like the
connection to the body and thenthe disconnection, the
connection and then thedisconnection.
It's like a dance, and I knowyou have one too and you've
shared before on the podcast.
And today what I really want totalk about is using your body as
(03:01):
a compass, and I feel like inyour work, using your body as a
compass, and I feel like in yourwork, you, you can't get away
from it because sleep isinherently it's.
It's your body.
Yes, it's connected to yourmind, but, like your body and
your mind work at differentrhythms.
So I would love to hear youknow, in terms of teaching
through nervous systemregulation, yoga and breath,
(03:23):
this, this question, is going tobe about business.
It's going to be a bit of adeparture from where we've gone
before.
What is the moment in yourbusiness where your body gave
you the truth before your mindcaught up?
And then what did you do aboutit?
Monica (03:37):
I guess this is an everyday battle, but I can first
all thank you for having me.
It's so lovely to be with youand your presence and you know
everybody who's watching.
Thank you for being here.
And I know that, like one ofthis is not specifically with my
business, but it's when mybusiness started and I was
(04:02):
living in Beijing and I wasworking full time and I was
doing photography and I wasdoing exhibitions and I wanted
to meet everybody and be aroundpeople and do everything.
I have a vibrant life.
I was married.
I was, you know, justconquering the world and it was
(04:22):
a stage that things startedgoing downward and everything
was happening with me.
So I was visiting the doctor,like every week, different
doctor, different specialist andI didn't know what was going on
.
And it was just like this.
I remember, like me saying,like I'm sick of going to a
(04:46):
doctor, like I'm not going to goanymore, I don't care what's
wrong with me, I'm not going togo anymore.
And one of those things was thatI was unhappy with my life.
Like you said, I was doing andliving somebody else's dream,
and that unhappiness, like I wastrying to fight it.
(05:06):
You know, I, I left my marriageand I was fighting not to leave
it.
I was fighting to do the thingsand go to therapy and do the
things and be more patient anddo more things for trying to
save this relationship Right.
And like I think six months, ayear later, I got, I left my
(05:33):
marriage.
I was doing super good.
So this is like that when, whenyou ask like when did your mind
cut up?
Like my body knew it.
I used to be lactose intolerant, I wasn't able to use spices,
(05:54):
and like everything was stuck inmy stomach and now, like that's
one of my cues, I'm like wait,wait, wait.
Did I really eat something?
That my body's resenting or isthis emotional?
So now, like I've learned fromthat experience, and I go back
and it's like, oh, what am Iprocessing right now?
(06:15):
I guess, that's the biggestexample that is the hardest.
Sheila (06:19):
Yeah, it's hard and it's not.
You enter into a relationshipyou enter into like sometimes
it's a working relationship toright.
You enter into it with the bestintentions.
But everybody grows and changesand that's okay.
We have this thought in ourminds that I need to make all
the changes, perhaps.
But really any kind ofrelationship it is it's two
people and there's always somany dynamics, and but it's
(06:43):
interesting how your body reallykeeps the score of all of the
things, of all of the things.
And so in your book, sleepsimplified, which I love, and
I'm sitting on my bookshelf.
I was going to pull it out, butI don't want to leave camera
now.
It's right, it's right there.
So if you've got one next toyou, you can show it.
She's like I'm going to bringthe phone with me.
I could do that too.
(07:04):
I suppose I think there she is.
I see that beautiful teal spineof it there it is there she is.
It's a labor of love and you'vebeen just having so much fun
promoting this work and so manypeople are being benefited from
it, me being one of them, myfamily being being the rest
local to me and.
(07:25):
But you talk about quick shiftsthat yield the most highest
return and I'm just wonderingfor the women listening who
think, okay, I want to.
You know, I want to.
I want to have better sleep, Iwant to really let my body be be
able to hear what my body hasto say to me, but I'm so busy.
How do I add one more thing,right?
So what is one microrepatterning pattern or process
(07:49):
that women could start whenthey're specifically caught in
that loop of like performanceand and I know in um, I feel
like in in nervous system,healing?
It's kind of like, when youthink about the fawning kind of
thing that's often, I think,connected to performance, like,
oh, if I just do better, maybethen they'll like me, if I just
(08:10):
do better, maybe then thatpromotion will make me feel
better about myself.
Like, perform, perform.
What's a micro-patterning kindof thing they could do, do you
think?
Monica (08:29):
no-transcript only before bed.
You do it through the day,right.
So, for example, in my book Ihave breathing exercises or
meditation or mudras, sowhatever it is.
For example, I give them amudra this is Hakini Mudra, this
is one of my favorite ones youmake a little circle and then
(08:49):
you put it just in front of yoursolar plexus or just just on
your thighs and you take likethree breaths and try to inhale
and exhale and through the nose,and I just have to do it right
now right now, everybody take abreath.
Sheila (09:09):
We're breathing for those joining.
Just just take a breath.
This is your invitation to takea breath.
Monica (09:14):
Yes, and for example.
So I teach them okay, do itfirst thing when you wake up in
the morning, take three breaths.
Do it at noon before you takeyour lunch, and then do it take
five, 10 breaths before bed.
So then you're teaching yourbody what you want at the end of
(09:38):
the day.
Right?
And it's like for thosego-getters and overachievers.
I'm like, and that's too simple,do it every hour and honestly
like, just like, even if youimagine putting your hands there
by the end of the day, if youdo it for 10 times during the
(09:59):
day, you're going to feelgrounded and strong and your
body is going to recognize.
So most of the tools out thereare good, but if you don't
practice them they might notwork.
But if you don't practice themthey might not work.
So this is like a way I startedintroducing that to my clients
(10:21):
of mini little breaks during theday, like I don't have the time
.
I travel 40 minutes to get towork and then when I'm there, I
have meetings after meetings.
I'm like can you breathe whileyou're in the car?
can you don't have to put yourhands there, but can you breathe
?
Can you focus and be like evenif you're listening to music
singing loud like can you focusintentionally on your breath and
(10:45):
, for example, every time youhave a new meeting, can you just
get up and stretch and just say, can we take a breath together?
I, my therapist, told me to dothis.
If you put it out there, it'sgoing to happen easier instead
of you trying to, you know, notdo it because, oh my gosh, I
(11:06):
can't do it.
Like if you really live, havean environment that is chaotic
and toxic and whatever, go tothe bathroom, take three breaths
.
Sheila (11:15):
Right, there's always a little escape and that is like
so true for so many people.
Just, it's the patterning inour minds that I just, I just
can't do one more thing, I justdon't even think I can do it.
And something so simple as justtaking those breaths and really
being aware of them.
And and actually I find too,like you know, we can get so
(11:36):
focused, like whether we're at adesk or just working on a
project or something, and welook up and it's just like just
really taking in the atmospherearound you and appreciating it,
like wow, I perhaps maybe not inall cases, but in a lot of
cases I asked for this, I workedfor this, I dreamed for this
and this is now mine, and we getso commonplace with things.
(11:59):
But that gratitude of just okay, this was once just an idea in
my mind and now I'm here, it isRight, I love that.
And you know, we've seen I mean,you've experienced it, I've
experienced it, we've witnessedit like what happens when women
push beyond capacity, and so howdo you help them unhook from
that?
You know, maybe I'm good enoughif I just try a harder loop,
(12:21):
like without, because at thesame time we want to say, like
good for you that you have madeit this far, and like that can
feel performative too.
So how do you help people getout of that loop?
I imagine it has to do withlike body first type of
(12:41):
practices.
Monica (12:41):
But you tell me it's going to surprise you, but what
I tell clients the first thing,after setting the goal, what we
do is set a way of celebration.
I was just talking to a clienttoday and I was telling him that
you start now and you set anintention of what do you want to
(13:02):
do, but then you look for a wayto celebrating right, and that
is going to align that doing andplaying, because we're used to
doing.
And then when you have to playor take care of yourself, you're
like no, no, I don't have timefor this.
But then if you set theintention since the beginning of
this is what I want and this ishow I'm going to celebrate and
(13:23):
not actually achieving the goal,because sometimes there's
things that you can't notcontrol.
So you're going to focus on thethings that you are going to
control when you finish thosethings.
That's how you celebrate.
You go get a lollipop, you goget a massage, you go buy
yourself like flowers and onething that I was telling him
(13:44):
like it doesn't matter if youcan afford 10 lollipops, you're
just going to go buy that oneand savor it, just because you
said you will.
And entrepreneurship and lifeit's just, it gets chaotic, it's
never linear.
So you need those celebrationpoints to actually kind of
(14:05):
anchor you, to focus on yourgoal, because life gets
complicated and you need thoselittle reminders.
So that's like the first thingthat I do.
Sheila (14:16):
I love that.
I love that it's the beginning.
We don't celebrate enough.
I think we are always veryoften and maybe it's culturally,
it might be just Westernizedculture like where we are so
focused on what's next, what'snext, where we do not root into
actually celebrating what we'veachieved already.
And I think just the idea ofcelebrating an intention that
(14:37):
you've set, the fact that you'vecome to the place in your life
where you believe that you arecapable of doing this thing, and
so you're setting the intentionlike that is huge, allowing
yourself to grow and expand yeah, let's celebrate it.
I love that you do that.
It's so good.
And so I would love to know, um, right now, I see you in nature
(14:59):
a lot when you're on your, onyour socials, and you love to be
outside.
I know I do too, as much as Ican, and it just roots you right
back in.
What is your favorite thing todo outside now?
Is it hiking?
Is it swimming, like what?
What is your favorite thingright now?
Monica (15:17):
right now it's hiking.
I'm moving a lot into swimmingbecause it's 110 degrees here.
Gladly it rained yesterday andit's like in the 80s right now,
but I love going for walks inthe afternoon and I haven't done
that because it's been so hot,um.
(15:39):
So I'm trying to like get intomy schedule going swimming
because I know that's going tobe very cooling for the body
yeah, and there's somethingabout that floating.
Sheila (15:49):
I feel like and and again.
I'm not like a major swimmer byany stretch, but when I am in
water and I allow myself tofloat, it is the most beautiful
practice of trust and allowingand feeling supported, because
you're literally just floatingin the water and like you're not
(16:10):
.
You're just there, like you'renot doing anything to support
yourself.
You're being supported and Ithink so often we can go through
life and feel like we've goteverything on our shoulders and
it's like Atlas right, like oh,better not shrug, the world's
going to fall off, and we forgetactually that we are supported.
And it may not look like it inthe moment, but I mean truly,
(16:33):
like I always, I always say tomy kids like I'm not the one
making my heartbeat right now,like yes, I can do things to
have a healthy heart, I can liveand try and do all these good
things, but at the end of theday it's beating.
I don't know, it's not up to me.
So that very thing, like thatbreath that we have, that we get
to really savor because we getto breathe For those of us some
(16:56):
of us it's harder to breathethan others, like some of I have
some dear ones going throughsome breathing issues, like who
are in their older years and andit's a tough thing, right.
And so when we really can justsay, you know what, if I don't
stop and take those threebreaths throughout the day, what
am I even doing?
Like we're, let's savor it.
And if we can root into thosereally basic things, I think
(17:17):
they help us look at all theother things that feel so big,
so complex and just kind of makesense out of the world and help
us realize like it's going tobe okay, like we will figure
this out, and conversations likethis always make me feel great.
So we had to really lean intothe people that that are
thinking this way and that canhelp remind us of things like
(17:39):
this as well.
So, monica, I would love tohear, before we part, what is
exciting for you right now inthe business.
What are you doing?
What are some programs you'redoing?
Are you speaking anywhere?
Are you traveling?
Like what's happening?
Monica (17:52):
I want to know.
I'm actually staying home forthe next month Well, not this
weekend, but I have a lot ofgood things coming up.
I have my first paintingexhibition this weekend.
I'm really proud of that my mom, my sister, my aunt and a bunch
of good friends for having thattogether.
(18:13):
It's a beautiful painting groupthat I was doing when I was
living in Mexico and also, likeI started that painting class
the day after my 40th birthday,so technically the day after
launching my book, it was likego out and play.
The day after launching my bookit was like go out and play.
(18:36):
And my audio book for SleepSimplified it's actually out now
.
It's starting to upload to allthe platforms, so be patient,
but look into your favoriteplatform.
That's going to be it and Ihave what am I working on?
My next book now and a revisededition for Sleep Simplified.
So a lot of work, but I'm alsodoing kind of just giving people
(18:59):
a taste of what I do to be ableto support the community.
Sheila (19:17):
I love that so much.
Well, congratulations on all ofit.
It's so beautiful to witness,just like being able to see you
through the before you even hadthe book out in the world, like
when it was just like an ideaand a thought, and then see it
go all the way through to nowyou've got it in audio.
Oh, my goodness, okay, and weget to hear your beautiful voice
speaking it.
I love that.
That must've been fun Causethat's not a.
(19:39):
it's not a thin book Everyoneit's.
It's got stuff in it.
Okay, it's like that's it.
That's the one.
It's thick, so be sure to gograb the book wherever you buy
books, right, it's pretty mucheverywhere.
Amazon's a good place to get itas well, right?
And you know, please, if you'rewatching this, obviously here
(20:00):
on Instagram, you'll see thehandle.
So it's Monica M-O-N-I-C-A, dotL-E, dot B-A-R-O-N.
For those of you who hear thison the podcast, I will also have
a link to the show notes.
I'm so thrilled to see you here.
Thanks for reaching out again.
It's always a pleasure.
And um, any parting thoughtsbefore we go on our way well.
Monica (20:23):
Thank you so much for having me, thank you everybody
for listening, and just rememberthat you don't have to have it
all figured out.
There's people around you whowant to love you and support you
and you don't have to have itall figured out.
There's people around you whowant to love you and support you
and you don't have to have thewhole vision or the whole hour
to do something.
Start by taking three breathsand let your body and your
(20:44):
intuition guide you.
You got this.
Sheila (20:47):
Yes, you do, and I'm sending you all my love, monica.
Thank you so much for watchingand listening everybody, and we
will see you once again onanother episode of the connect
with Sheila Botelho podcast andover here on the ground.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com