We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michele Schalin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michele, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

In 2017, after 27 years of marriage, I made the bold decision to separate from my ex-husband and start a new chapter in my life. I chose to move to Spain with the goal of improving my Spanish skills. Little did I know that this adventure would not only transform me but also uncover inner strength I didn’t know I had.

Leaving behind everything I knew – friends, family, possessions, and even my sense of identity – I embarked on this journey alone. With limited knowledge of the Spanish language, I found myself in a completely foreign environment, struggling to understand and express myself. It felt like I was living in a movie, with my life transforming overnight. I faced my biggest fear of being alone in the world, and it was an emotional roller coaster of highs and lows. But instead of giving up or seeking comfort in familiarity, I pushed forward, eager to embrace whatever the universe had in store for me. I did whatever it took to learn Spanish, attending events, engaging in language exchanges, and even hiring a private tutor. And slowly but surely, my Spanish skills began to flourish.

Then, in February 2020, COVID-19 hit Spain with full force. The government imposed strict lockdown measures that drastically changed our lives. Confined to the four walls of my studio apartment, without even a balcony or yard, I had my freedom taken away from me. For nearly two months, we were only allowed outside for essential purposes, such as walking our dogs or buying groceries. It was a shocking and isolating experience.

However, I chose to use this time for profound healing and personal growth. Cut off from the outside world, I continued to research about the mind-body connection, trauma healing, brain training, and spirituality. I devoted hours each day to meditation, breathwork, gratitude practice, listening to uplifting talks, and practicing affirmations. Journaling became a daily ritual, capturing my thoughts, behaviors, and the changes I was experiencing.

Unable to be in nature physically, I found creative ways to connect with it. Using essential oils and nature sounds, I tricked my mind into feeling connected to the natural world. During meditation, I visualized myself immersed in an outdoor setting, deepening my sense of peace and balance. When the lockdown eventually lifted, I emerged from my cocoon like a butterfly, transformed and ready to thrive. This inward journey laid the foundation for ongoing personal development and spiritual growth.

Inspired by my own transformation, I felt a strong calling to help others find their own inner power. This led to the creation of my company Mindful Metamorphosis and the idea to write a book so I could share my story and reach more people. Through virtual workshops, I empowered people with practical tools and techniques to navigate the challenges of our global reality. Connecting with individuals across the globe and seeing their progress in overcoming anxiety and depression brought me incredible fulfillment and renewed purpose.

Returning to the US in February 2021, I began writing my book, “Mindful Metamorphosis: A Compassionate Guide to Inner Transformation,” which was ultimately published in June 2023, now available on Amazon in English and Spanish in various formats. My business is steadily growing and flourishing as I continue to spread the message of personal transformation and empowerment.

Michele, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My entire life has been dedicated to understanding psychology, sociology, and relationships. For twenty-six years, I devoted myself to twelve-step communities and mentored hundreds of women through their healing from trauma and addiction.

However, everything changed in 2014 after I underwent back surgery. It was during my recovery that I discovered the transformative and healing practices of meditation and yoga. These practices led me on a profound journey of self-discovery, delving into my innermost being like never before.

Through the exploration of spiritual books and tools, I awakened new realms within my mind and experienced a profound shift in perspective. This adventure marked the beginning of a profound introspective journey that continues to shape my life.

From 2017 to 2021, I resided in Spain. During the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself in a strict lockdown. However, instead of letting this time go to waste, I chose to focus on deep healing and personal development. I shifted my attention away from mindless entertainment and immersed myself in a world of knowledge and discovery. Scientific research on the mind-body connection, techniques for overcoming trauma, brain training, reshaping subconscious beliefs, breathwork, sound healing, and spirituality became my new obsession.

Every day, I dedicated 2-3 hours to meditation, absorbing uplifting spiritual and motivational talks. As I slept, I filled my mind with positive affirmations, recording my own affirmations and gratitude lists to reinforce these empowering thoughts. journal.

The transformation I experienced was so profound that I compared it to emerging from a cocoon. I realized that many others were also struggling in similar ways, and this ignited a powerful desire within me to help them discover their own transformative journeys. Thus, my company, Mindful Metamorphosis, and my book by the same name were born, fueled by my incredible personal growth.

As a Mental Fitness Coach with Mindful Metamorphosis, I aim to help people become their greatest selves. My techniques promote mental fitness by enabling them to regulate and process emotions and manage stress effectively through breathwork, sound therapy, meditation, mindfulness, brain training techniques, and many more modalities.

Through my private coaching and my workshops, both virtual and face-to-face, I educate, guide and support people in developing a mental fitness training routine, just like they have with physical fitness. My clients learn how to control their thoughts while healing from past traumas and they understand that their thought process dictates their health and by implementing simple wellness practices into their lifestyles they transform their lives.

I believe in being open and honest with people, sharing my own personal challenges and triumphs. By doing so, I can connect with others on a deeper level and offer them a path to overcome their own struggles.

I am dedicated to promoting Mindful Metamorphosis, a movement that values mental fitness as much as physical fitness. By embracing scientific research from the past two decades, we can now utilize holistic practices to effectively manage the demands of our fast-paced lives..

I’m very proud of my groundbreaking book, “Mindful Metamorphosis: A Compassionate Guide to Inner Transformation.” Packed with transformative wisdom, it caters to both English and Spanish readers in electronic, paper, and Audible formats. I also have a vibrant online community on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for educational and inspirational content. I’m passionate about connecting and supporting each other on the journey to personal growth.

I want people to know they can gain more control over their thoughts, change their subconscious beliefs, learn to process and regulate their emotions and heal from trauma. In doing so, every aspect of their life is include mental, spiritual, emotional and physical is elevated.

You have the power to take charge of your life and gain control over your mind. Once you understand the basic science behind how your thoughts, beliefs and body work together, you’ll be inspired and motivated to dedicate yourself to mental fitness training and pursue personal transformation for lasting change.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After receiving a profound message from my late mother during my lockdown experience, I had a powerful calling to write my book and share my healing journey and the knowledge I’ve gained about harnessing the mind-body connection for success.

I was determined to make this book a reality, no matter the cost. I chose to self-publish, despite the financial burden, because I wanted full ownership. Even with my running my business and monthly events, the expenses for the book and the international book tour seemed out of reach. That’s when I made a life-changing decision to take on a demanding call center job for 40 hours a week. Juggling this job, my business, and writing the book, my life became incredibly isolated and overwhelming. It may seem insane, but I was committed to making my dream come true. I knew I could do it for six months.

The first two months were incredibly intense. I experienced severe burnout that had me crying every night, but I didn’t give up. I used affirmations, gratitude practices, and meditation to keep myself grounded and stay positive. I immersed myself in inspirational videos and turned it into a mindful challenge to take care of myself emotionally and physically.

Every day, I had to confront my negative thinking as I faced a type of job I had avoided all my life – sitting in front of screens answering angry and demanding calls all day long. Through deep breathing, I reminded myself that I was there to help these customers, no matter how they reacted. What kept me going was my unwavering gratitude for the job and its potential to bring me closer to my dream.

During the last two months of book revisions, my schedule became even more demanding. I woke up at 5:00 am to prime my mind and body, wrote for two hours before work, worked my eight hour shift, then wrote for two hours before bed, and repeated the cycle each day.

Fortunately, I had some moments of solace. With the warmer weather, I could open my balcony and feel closer to nature. I used grounding products to balance the electromagnetic energy from the screens I had to be in front of 12 hours a day. During lunch breaks, I would go outside, do yoga, and ground myself barefoot on the grass. It all helped me find a sense of peace amidst the chaos.

As the sun set, I embraced a nightly ritual of dancing under the stars and singing along to my favorite songs. I didn’t care what my neighbors thought. It was my personal therapy, releasing built-up energy and flooding my body with happiness-inducing hormones.

The last month was a game-changer. I marked each day on a calendar with a triumphant X. As the weeks went by, I let loose and danced to “Another One Bites the Dust.” This schedule was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done in my career, but I would do it all over again to achieve my dream of helping others.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

In the ever-evolving landscape of coaching, the integration of mindfulness, meditation, breathwork and other holistic modalities have emerged as powerful and scientifically backed practices for enhancing emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Rooted in ancient contemplative practices, these techniques have garnered substantial attention in contemporary scientific research for the past two decades for their positive effects on mental health, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. Numerous studies have demonstrated its efficacy in reducing stress, improving focus, and enhancing emotional resilience.

I’m talking to people that live in a Western-minded society and these practices are unfamiliar to many of them. They want proof and that’s what I give them. I focus on scientific research, explaining how incorporating these techniques into your daily life can rewire your brain, leading to improved cognitive function, enhanced focus, better emotional regulation, and increased self-awareness.

Research consistently shows that mindfulness practices lead to a reduction in cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. This physiological change corresponds with improved stress management. They have discovered that this mental fitness regime is linked to increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with executive functions and emotional regulation.

I offer mindfulness techniques tailored to my client’s needs, such as mindful exercises, meditation, breathwork or body scan exercises, to enhance their self-awareness and emotional resilience. After they incorporate these techniques into their lives, they see a massive improvement in being able to change their negative thought patterns and experience more peace.

I hold specialized workshops and programs focused on mindfulness for personal development. These holistic coaching experiences attract like-minded individuals seeking growth and contribute to the expansion of our thriving community.

I create mindfulness-based resources such as guided meditations or mindfulness journals to support their personal journey between coaching sessions. By offering these tools, I not only empower their growth but also showcase my expertise as an esteemed Mental Fitness Coach.

I collaborate with other mindfulness practitioners or invite them as guest speakers. Collaborative efforts can broaden your network and provide clients with a more comprehensive approach to well-being.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://micheleschalin.com/ and https://mschalin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mschalin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michele.schalin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleschalin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mschalin

Image Credits
No need to credit images, taken by friends