Episode Details

What if the silence you’ve been avoiding in midlife is the very thing that could set you free? Laurie Jacobson spent years trying everything to find her way out of pain until 22 days of silence at a Buddhist monastery gave her what counseling and alternative modalities couldn’t: her own self back.

If you’ve ever felt like you were carrying something so heavy that it had become part of you, this conversation could be the thing you’ve been looking for. I sit down with author and health coach Laurie Jacobson who shares her journey to escape an emotionally abusive marriage led her to a Buddhist monastery and the inner freedom to finally walk away. Together, we explore what it really means to design your life on your own terms, especially in your 50s and beyond.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why the biggest hurdle women face after 50 isn’t age; it’s learning to embrace it as a new beginning rather than an ending.
• How a 22-day silent retreat cracked open one woman’s heart and gave her the courage to leave an emotionally abusive marriage.
• The unexpected gift of impermanence: how meditation teaches us that pain, even the deepest kind, will pass.
• Why “on and off” is still a meditation practice, and why 5 minutes of stillness can be just as powerful as an hour on the cushion.
• The healing triad of self-compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance — and how to begin practicing each one today.
• What it means to become a non-judgmental observer of your own life, and why that inner spaciousness is pure freedom.
• How stepping outside your comfort zone isn’t recklessness; it’s the path to becoming who you’re meant to be.

Whether you’ve never meditated a day in your life or you’re an on-again, off-again practitioner looking for permission to just begin again, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

About My Guest
Laurie S. Jacobson is a writer, certified health coach, and the author of Unexpected Awakening: 22 Days at a Buddhist Monastery Freed Me from Abuse. Fascinated by the Buddha’s teachings, she has channeled her lived experience of healing and resilience into health education programs, a monthly wellness column, and a book that is as much a love letter to suffering women as it is a testament to the transformative power of stillness. Her work is grounded in one simple truth: there is always a way through.

Connect with Laurie:
Website: lauriesjacobson.com
Book: Unexpected Awakening — available on her website or Amazon

Resources & links mentioned:
Holosync – binaural beat meditation audio program available from Centerpointe.com
Vipassana meditation — insight meditation practice taught at Theravada Buddhist monasteries
Gene Keys – transformational system for shadow work and inner integration
Building Your House of Health — Lori’s free 24-page wellness guide (available at lauriesjacobson.com)

Design Your Life, Your Way – next steps:

Learn more about the Good Grief Retreat — a sacred space to process loss and rediscover yourself: goodgriefretreat.net
Discover your unique gifts as a midlife entrepreneur with my free Personal Power Archetype Quiz: bit.ly/PersonalPowerQuiz
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