This week, I sit down with the luminous Tanya Ali Jalani: breathwork facilitator, sound healer and the founder of Riise. Tanya’s story is one of profound inner awakening, cultural reinvention, and the courage it takes to dismantle the conditioning we inherit.

Tanya grew up in Iran before migrating to Australia at age six, carrying the weight of cultural expectation, displacement, and early mental health struggles. At twelve, she knew something inside her felt different: but didn’t yet have the language for depression, trauma, or the emotional storms that shaped her early life.

Her life changed dramatically six years ago during a deep meditation retreat, where she experienced a spiritual awakening so powerful it rewired the way she thought, felt and moved in the world. Today, she teaches breathwork and sound healing through a lens of responsibility, integration and emotional safety: and she speaks openly about the days she still has to work hard not to dip.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How cultural and family conditioning shapes identity

• Tanya’s profound “before and after” awakening experience

• The difference between sadness and clinical depression

• The hidden emotional load carried by immigrant and Middle Eastern families

• Why breathwork can activate dormant energies — and why responsible aftercare matters

• Why spiritual highs mean nothing without staying human

• The rituals and practices that help her remain grounded

This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt wired differently, struggled in silence, or longed for a deeper connection to themselves.

A special thank you to our sponsor, Aestheticá Byron Bay: the female-founded, nurse-led medi-spa redefining natural, ethical cosmetic treatments.

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