We have a best-selling author and award-winning international interior/fashion designer on the podcast this week! This is Mahwish Syed’s inspiring recovery story from breast cancer with quantum biology and beauty infused in her unique approach.
“Cancer happens to other people, not me.”
I have to agree with my podcast co-host Andeea’s statement that before she met Mahwish, she would not have picked up her book. I too would have placed a judgement that I would not relate to it because I have never suffered from cancer. And like Mahwish states in the book, “cancer happens to other people, not me.” (paraphrased). I might have bought it for a friend or family member in that scenario.
Synchronicity & Morphine
Well, I broke my leg badly the day before the interview. I actually did not know we were interviewing her. Andeea had arranged for this interview to be on her Quantum Recovery podcast. But something told Andeea last minute to have it also on Quantum Healthy. I instinctively said yes for this last-minute opportunity. I now know it to be fate.
I was full of painkillers and slept on morphine the night before so I was not my sharpest. But no matter, Andeea carried us through the interview and I could not help feel I was there to witness and integrate this message of recovery. I ordered her Audible book Purgatory to Paradise the next day and have fallen asleep to her narration each night this past week. I wake with optimism and determination to face this new adversity (now surgery and likely 8 weeks non-weight bearing) with both grace and alignment. Then I get my body out of bed to experience sunrise, in all its glory.
Purgatory to Paradise
Her book description from Amazon: “Mahwish Syed celebrates beauty as a vehicle for healing. When Mahwish was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, she faced a crossroads. She could run from the fear, the distress, and the ominous history the word cancer holds in our imagination. Or she could walk proudly into illness to find her way through to wellness, remerging from her personal Underworld empowered and burnished like many of mythology’s greatest heroines.
Weaving mythology, design, her passion for art history, and her dedication to whole-body health into a tapestry of rebirth, Mahwish frames her own cancer journey as one of renewal and redemption. She is not alone in this journey: releasing oneself from purgatory to claim your paradise is every person’s birthright. Whether you are decorating your home or renovating your body from the inside out to recover from illness, you will be inspired in these pages to design an authentic life that’s unique to you.”
Shedding Tears
Not saying I have not shed a few tears since my fall. I believe these are part of the healing process. Studying Homeopathy for 2 years instilled this belief in releasing grief and trauma, otherwise it gets stuck and will lead to pathological dis-ease down the road. But I refuse to wallow in a pity party of one. I have a big job to do – renovate my tibia and possibly knee from the inside out – sigh.
Further Synchronicity
My weekly blog from Dr Jack Kruse (my OG Quantum Biology mentor) included these quotes:
Jack, Mahwish, God and Universe – if you ever read this, let it be known…
- I am indeed currently uncomfortable AF
- My story is definitely not over
- I am attempting this recovery with beauty, grace, and serenity and alignment
- Epic is still my goalpost
- Not promising there won’t be tears along the way
- Just please God – no more epic falls.
Mahwish will be back on Quantum Healthy
We have already interviewed Mahwish a second time and in a few weeks it will air. She shares so many enlightening tips about how make your home into a sacred healing oasis. These will be novel as they incorporate quantum principles and neuroaesthetics (yes new word for me too). As a fashion designer she treated us to some tips on our wardrobes to keep them healing instead of depleting – key for avoiding cancer.
The audible link to Purgatory to Paradise
If you would like to hear Mahwish’s best selling book like I did, she narrates herself here: Purgatory to Paradise: How Cancer Helped me Design as Authentic Life.
Mahwish Syed’s Bio
Mahwish Syed is a visionary at the intersection of health, healing, and the transformative power of design. At the forefront of New York City design for over two decades, she has orchestrated beauty through unveiling spaces that transcend aesthetics to nourish the soul and promote a healthy environment.
She is an esteemed fashion and interior designer, bestselling author, speaker, and cancer survivor. In her acclaimed book, “Purgatory to Paradise,” she unveils the profound influence of beauty as a healing force. Committed to empowering others, she advocates for personal paradises, affirming that genuine beauty is immediate and attainable for all.
Episode 13 – Mahwish Syed
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro
01:00 – Mahwish Syed’s Introduction
04:00 – Diagnosis
06:50 – Emotions and Physical Health
10:20 – Environmental Factors and Physical Health
14:26 – Exposure and Illness
19:29 – Beauty as a Healing Modality
22:41 – Paradise: A State of Being
28:44 – Healing Modalities Used
33:06 – Asking for Help and Disease Stigma
37:30 – Importance of Community Support
40:00 – Learning from Diverse Cultures
43:20 – Maternal-Centered Health Model
45:40 – Diet and Nutrition for Wellness
50:53 – Meaning of Quantum Health
52:56 – Mahwish’s Offerings
54:00 – OUTRO
I hope you enjoy this new episode!
With aspiring grace and alignment, Laura
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