Rupi Kaur on Writing as Spiritual Practice, Fear, Burnout & the Courage to Tell the Truth

In this deeply intimate and honest conversation, Leonora sits down with Rupi Kaur — poet, performer, and one of the most influential literary voices of our time — to explore what really lives behind the success, the stage, and the millions of readers around the world.

Recorded after meeting at a transformative festival in the Faroe Islands, this episode is less about achievement and more about truth: how creativity becomes a spiritual practice, how fear appears after success, and why nourishing the inner child is essential for any woman who leads, creates, and gives so much of herself.

Rupi opens up about burnout, taking a full sabbatical from the “machine,” and returning to writing not from pressure — but from love. Together, Leonora and Rupi reflect on the purity of creation when we have nothing to lose, the danger of competing with our past selves, and how reconnecting with presence can bring us back to our deepest power.

This conversation is a gentle pause — a reminder that you are not alone, that doubt is part of the journey, and that creativity can be a pathway home to yourself.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why poetry and writing are spiritual practices — not productivity tools

• What happens when success disconnects us from our inner truth

• Burnout, fear, and the pressure to “repeat” past achievements

• Nourishing the inner child while living in a demanding world

• How presence matters more than destination

• Writing as a healing tool for busy women and leaders

• Letting go of outcomes and returning to purity of expression

• The power of human connection and shared vulnerability

This episode is especially for women who are:

• Holding big responsibilities

• Questioning themselves despite their success

• Craving softness, truth, and creative freedom

• Ready to reconnect with their inner voice

Press play. Take a breath. Let this conversation meet you exactly where you are.

https://rupikaur.com/Join the Now Be You community on Substack for more conscious conversations www.nowbeyouglobal.substack.com

What does it really mean to be a “dangerous woman” in today’s world? In this intimate conversation, media icon, author and global women’s leadership advocate Pat Mitchell joins Leonora Be You to talk about courage, purpose, and redefining power on our own terms.

From leaving an abusive marriage and pivoting careers, to becoming the first woman president of PBS and co-founding the women-led climate movement Project Dandelion, Pat shares how “falling on your face is still forward movement” – and why these times call for women who are fearless, not feared.

Together, Pat and Leonora explore how feminine and feminist values, elemental energies (earth, water, fire, air), and deep purpose can guide women leaders to create change without burning out.

In this episode, we explore:

• What “becoming a dangerous woman” actually means (and why it’s not about being scary, but being fearless and outspoken).

• Pat’s personal story: leaving an abusive marriage, changing careers, and rising in a male-dominated media world.

• How to turn failure, loss and “falling on your face” into forward movement.

• The birth of Project Dandelion and why women are leading the way in climate and nature solutions.

• Feminine vs. masculine power: how women (and men) can reclaim balance, empathy, and justice-driven leadership.

• Elemental energy types (fire, water, earth, air) and how understanding your dominant energy can change the way you lead.

• Why curiosity and purpose are Pat’s antidotes to aging, apathy, and discouragement.

About Pat Mitchell

Pat Mitchell is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer and media executive, the first woman president of PBS and of CNN Productions, and the author of Becoming a Dangerous Woman: Embracing Risk to Change the World. She is co-founder and curator of TEDWomen and a co-founder of Project Dandelion, a global women-led campaign for climate justice.

If this conversation spoke to you, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with others.

🔥 Take the Elemental Energy quiz and discover your unique signature: https://bit.ly/elemental-energy-signature

📚 Learn more about Pat Mitchell & Becoming a Dangerous Woman: https://www.patmitchellmedia.com/

🌱 Explore Project Dandelion and women-led climate solutions: https://www.projectdandelion.com/

Join us on for a powerful women gathering in Ibiza April 2026 to nurture our strength. Learn more here: https://tr.ee/e7M902kE1C

In this episode of Now Be You, Leonora is joined by breathwork pioneer and SOMA Breath founder Niraj Naik to explore how breath, the body and ancient wisdom can awaken leadership, creativity and deep healing — especially for women navigating purpose, business and personal transformation.

Niraj shares how a life-threatening autoimmune disease and a moment of desperation shifted him from pharmacist to breathwork pioneer. What began as his own healing journey became a global movement combining pranayama, music and modern science. As he says, “I didn’t choose this. It chose me.”

Together, they explore how suppressed creative and sexual energy, chronic stress and living disconnected from our true nature lead to burnout and disease — and how rhythmic breathing, breath holds and intermittent hypoxia can reset the nervous system, activate stem cells, support hormonal balance and even help with depression.

They dive into feminine leadership, the importance of honoring women’s cycles, sleep and creativity, and how women leaders can step out of masculine overdrive and back into their natural rhythm through breath, movement and self-awareness.

This episode is for women leaders and visionaries who want to shift from control to embodiment, from stress to flow, and from force to purpose — through the power of breath and body.

Listen and let this conversation be your reminder:

Your body knows.

Your breath heals.

And your purpose doesn’t need to be forced — it chooses you.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to our Substack (nowbeyouglobal.substack.com) and join our global community of female leaders ready to bring awakened business into the world.

Learn more about SOMA Breath: www.somabreath.com

Learn more about Leonora Be You: www.leonorabeyou.com