Why Success Doesn’t Protect You From Feeling Disconnected

On this episode of The Secrets of Being Podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome Darshana Avila, a speaker, transformational guide, somatic healer, and sexologist who supports women in living from pleasure, power, and truth.

Darshana shares how her path began in the “supposed to” version of life. She did all the things that looked right on the outside, but she realized that outward success was not creating inner peace. That gap between appearance and truth became the doorway into her spiritual seeking, her relationship healing, and her commitment to embodied transformation.

We talk about what it means to heal through the body, and why somatic work can help release trauma patterns that live in the nervous system. Darshana explains that while many people come to her for intimacy and relationship struggles, the real work is whole life transformation. She brings language to what so many of us feel but cannot always name, including self abandonment, people pleasing, and the ways we disconnect from ourselves just to feel safe or accepted.

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is when Darshana speaks about peace. She shares that after decades of growth and practice, she is in a chapter of her life where serenity feels like the real success. She reminds us that peace is not flashy, but it is powerful, and nothing feels as good as being centered within yourself. We also talk about presence, and how constantly waiting for the next milestone pulls us out of our lives and away from what is already here.

Darshana breaks down how people pleasing begins as a survival strategy, and how many of us keep using those old strategies long after we have outgrown them. She explains how this can lead to burnout, resentment, and emotional dis-ease, and why healing means learning to listen to yourself again. We talk about nervous system regulation, capacity, boundaries, and how caring for others becomes healthier when you are also caring for yourself.

This episode is a reminder that there is not one right way to live, love, or be in relationship. It is a call to reclaim your authenticity, reconnect with your body, and build a life that feels good on the inside, not just impressive on the outside. If you’ve been craving more peace, more self-trust, and more truth in how you show up, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

With love,
Dawn

P.S. You can connect with Darshana here: https://darshanaavila.com/

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